Thank you NetGalley and Julie Soto for providing this ARC. I had been dying to read it since last year’s “Forget Me Not” stole my heart! ❤️

Whew, this book was such a beautiful, angsty journey. I love a book with yearning and I love complex main characters who make me feel deeply and root for them. The tension was written so well and I felt myself holding my breath whenever their hands would even brush each other. 🥵

The tension led to some truly poetic spicy scenes. Let’s just say Julie Soto found a way to make a cello slutty. 🤪

Despite all the angst, this didn’t feel like a heavy read and I often found myself smiling at the banter. It’s the perfect mixture to me of a book having depth, while not pulling me completely under in emotions and providing lots of levity and joy.

Synopsis: Gwen is a violin prodigy who meets Xander, a cello prodigy, and member of her favorite rock band at a bougie wedding. She has to switch to playing the cello at the last minute (which is not an easy feat and something she is not trained for in the slightest!), and immediately catches Xander’s eye for her musical abilities. He starts off very cold and rude, but slowly becomes enamored with Gwen and her seemingly unlimited talent, desperate to make music together and become part of her life, despite the many obstacles in their way.

I had butterflies throughout the book seeing cold Zander thawing for Gwen, and ended this book with a full heart and so much love for them. I wish I could hear Fugue No. 1, the first song they write together!!!



Tropes:

🎻 Grumpy / sunshine
🎻 Rivals to lovers
🎻 Yearning and wooing 🥹
🎻 Slutty occurrences with stringed instruments (lol)

Readers will find themselves hooked on Julie Soto's books, making her an auto-buy author. Her storytelling prowess shines in her latest works, with characters from previous stories making delightful appearances. The chemistry between the main characters is captivating, and the side characters add depth to the narrative. While some may find the pacing a bit slow and the third-act breakup and manipulative characters a tad cliché, the overall experience is thoroughly enjoyable. Soto's ability to blend humor, romance, and real-life elements makes her books stand out in the contemporary romance genre. Amazing!

4.5⭐️

Super random side note thought I WOULD LOVE TO WATCH THIS AS A MOVIE????????????? CAN WE GET THAT PLEASE??? THANKS



This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m so grateful I was able to get the ARC during the time it was available on netgalley earlier this week.

After reading Forget Me Not last year and falling in love with the story and writing I couldn’t wait for this next book by Julie Soto, who I admit I used to read on AO3 where she published fanfic! I loved being able to read her book published!

I loved so much about this book especially as someone who grew up playing music their whole life. I really loved Gwen’s character and felt that I could connect with her and understand her. I loved the relationship between her and Xander as well. The cello scene really was 👌🎻

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is I did feel like the ending was slightly rushed, I wanted a little more insight into Xanders side of the story in the last 15% or so. And there were also a few parts where I felt like their relationship progressed and I missed the progression of it almost like it just happened and I just had to agree we were there now. But not so much that it took away from the experience.

Overall I really enjoyed this and was smiling like an idiot half the time I was reading. Now I can’t wait to read Julie Soto’s next book!!

Not another love song is Julie Soto’s sephomore romance book about two rival violinists.
I believe Soto is an incredible writer with a fresh look on romance. I really enjoyed this book and thought there was great tension between our main characters Gwen and Alex. It is clear from the writing that Julie had put in a lot of effort and research in writing about about concert orchestra dynamics and music contexts. Her knowledge really shone through and made the story that much richer between our characters. There was great chemistry, the pacing was well done, and the side characters complimented well with the overall arc. The only thing I had a slight problem with was the third act conflict and resolution. I thought the breakup made sense as there was clearly some unresolved issues harbouring between Gwen and Alex, however I felt the resolution needed some tightening and better tension as it all seemed very dramatic until it wasn’t, and Alex and Gwen’s reason to get back together could have needed a more solid foundation.
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and thought it was an incredibly fun read.

This was such a good book! From start to finish I was enchanted by the characters and where the story was taking us. I love Gwen and Alex as our main couple - grumpy/sunshine is definitely my weakness. I wanted to learn more about the side characters (Jacob and Declan deserve their own story) but I was happy with the time we got with them.

There wasn't anything too unexpected in the plot, but Julie Soto writes so well that I still found myself devouring each page. I was pleasantly surprised when reading Not Another Love Song - I didn't enjoy Forget Me Not as much as some, so I was very much hoping the writing would get me through. I wasnt let down. My biggest complaint is that we can't hear the music that the author so beautifully describes.

The author is very forthcoming in the opening about this originating as a Reylo fanfiction (I was unaware of that when first diving in). If that is not something that you enjoy, stay away from this book. It is definitely it's own thing, but you can clearly see its roots.

Rated 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ebook ARC.

Julie Soto strikes again. Soto’s ability to fully immerse her reader the world she creates is unparalleled. And the yearning and obsession feeling of love is palpable. Incredible!

As a musician and former member of a District Orchestra I enjoyed the setting of this story and the insight into composing. The enemies to lovers trope was well done and I especially liked that the leads challenged each other.

4.5 stars

This review has been posted to my Goodreads account and my Bookstagram.

This book has inspired me to go to Carnegie Hall!

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Forever & @Julie Soto! This is my very first ARC so I am truly grateful for this opportunity.

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Tropes in Not Another Love Song:
* Grumpy Sunshine
* Found Family
* Rivals to Lovers
* Musical Prodigies

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Spice Scale: 2.75/5 🌶️

I am still in awe how this is only Jule’s second book; this story was SO enticing. I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before. Composers and musicians are truly extraordinary within their craft and I think Gwen and Alex’s story was so much fun to read. Alex and Gwen’s genuine love for music then for each other oozed off the page. I think this made them stronger and more confident individually especially with the decisions they made towards the end of the book. Highlights for me were their meet-cute, the concept of found family and I loved seeing cameos from some characters in Forget Me Not. Let’s not forget the cover - it's stunning and it perfectly depicts a specific scene from the book. Once you get to this point you’ll understand what I’m referring to. 🎼🎻

If I wasn’t adulting I could’ve finished it in a day but alas I finished this book in three days. All my opinions are my own. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for those who are interested in reading this upon its release date.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6395421023?book_show_action=false

So, so good, I couldn’t put it down and was totally obsessed with the characters and story. I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting. Julie Soto is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, her writing is so beautiful and captivates you from the start.

Both the MFC and MMC were well rounded dynamic characters, and I felt a connection to each of them. I also really enjoyed both their growth individually and as a couple. The sweet moments made me aww, the spice was delicious and there was just the write amount of angst and tension.

Highly, highly recommend!

Julie Soto had me absolutely enthralled with Not Another Love Song. While I had never read the fanfic version, it didn't stop me from caring about her characters and being utterly engaged in their romance. It felt real, with actual stakes without being overly dramatic. (Within reason...the MMC is a famous musician after all.) The antagonist had me curious until the end.

The smut was very on point, the storyline interesting, and the cello scene was as good as everyone said it would be.

I don't typically reread a lot of romance books but this one was one that I definitely will!

Wow, just wow! I was kindly blessed with an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and Julie Soto herself and I knew within 30 pages that this would be a 5 star read for me.

The book follows the love story between Xander Thorne and Gwen Jackson, both orchestra players for the Manhattan Pops. The MMC is a cellist and the FMC is a violin player, and this is definitely a case of he falls first. Which, I LOVE. The banter, the tension, the SPICE!! Julie Soto has written a masterpiece, and I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy when it releases later this year.

The spice definitely spices, so keep that in mind if you aren’t a spicy romance reader. With that said, each spice scene was built into the plot beautifully, and it didn’t feel like spice just for the sake of it.

Again, thank you so much NetGalley and Julie Soto for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I devoured this book in one sitting. I do wish I knew more about music specifically in an orchestra setting but I do think that knowing that information is required to throughly enjoy this book. This is the first Julie Soto book I have read but it will not be my last.

The FMC and MMC are very well rounded characters you feel a connection right from the beginning and they are developed individually with their own stories as well as the connection between them.

I don’t even know if I have words to describe how much I loved this book. This book was gorgeous. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story so much. The characters absolutely captured me right away. But honestly… Julie Soto’s writing is so breathtaking. I don’t know how to describe it. Anytime I read her writing, I’m transported somewhere else and awash in awe. I will not forget Alex and Gwen’s love story for a long time. I think what makes Soto’s love stories so captivating for me is how she captures such small, meaningful moments. The spice is absolutely incredible, but so are the stolen glances and hidden hand brushes.
Gwen is an amazing violinist that doesn’t fully understand her own talent. Alex (or Xander) is a cellist with a snarky attitude. The way they come together is stunning. I will be looking up cello and violin duet videos for the foreseeable future.

I remain absolutely obsessed with the “he fell first” trope! It was such a sweet touch to have Alex’s perspective sprinkled in between Gwen’s- just to catch up on how head over heels he was. A sweet love story about loving all sides of someone and learning to stick up for yourself, Gwen & Alex’s journeys into owning their own careers/music/passion/lives was really beautiful!

My lack of interest in music held me back a little bit in this, I think, but overall I still really enjoyed this. The way that Alex was SO down bad for Gwen was incredible to read, he was like a little puppy who follows you around even when you tell him he can't have your snack.

The third act breakup in this didn't bother me like a lot of books do, because it was a fairly understandable reason to break up. The one issue is I couldn't tell if they finished having sex or like, stopped mid-coitus because of the argument lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5 stars (I would give it 6/5 if I could!!)
Spice: 3-4/5 chili peppers

This book was horny poetry and I DEVOURED every single word of it.

I played violin for 1 year in 4th grade but suddenly feel as though I am a prodigy myself. Did I understand half of the terminology used? Not even close. Did I eat up every second of it? Absofuckinglutely. Truly a masterpiece. I mean, the tension, my god. I was worried that the cello scene would be unbeatable but dear lord I am so glad to report I was wrong. The spice was NEXT LEVEL.

The characters were dynamic and relatable. The story was engaging and unique. The romance was HOT and swoon-worthy. Everything was 5 stars for me.

Julie Soto mentions in her author's note that she had queried this book many times prior to her debut novel, Forget Me Not, but it was never picked up. Well, I guess good things come to those who wait because it allowed her to edit and publish it as her Sophomore novel and I think that it is the perfect second novel to really hook her audience. I really enjoyed Forget Me Not but Not Another Love Song went above and beyond all of my expectations. She is officially and auto-buy author for me now. I think this could easily be my favorite romance of 2024.

I think this book is perfect for anyone that enjoys contemporary romance but if I had to be slightly more niche in my recommendation for it, I think Ali Hazelwood lovers will EAT THIS UP. As a previous Reylo fanfic, it definitely will be a hit with those that loved The Love Hypothesis, You Again, The Dead Romantics, and, of course, Forget Me Not. But it also stands completely on its own. While the Reylo comparisons are obvious, it was in no way in your face or, in my opinion, noticeable unless you thought about it.

Overall, this book was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the start but found it simply unputdownable about 25% in. I implore everyone to read it because I'm confident it could become an absolute fan favorite.

Everyone, buckle up. I have a LOT to say about this masterpiece...

What to expect:
- rivals to lovers
- musical prodigies
- insta love
- he FALLS first (and man is that the understatement of the century)
- SPICY CELLO SCENE. I REPEAT. SPICY CELLO SCENE.

Okay, so. It's very hard to even put into words how I feel about the perfection that is this book. Julie Soto KNOWS how to write a complex, moving, romantic story while still giving each individual character their own identities and complexities and it is just so beautiful. You know those books that you CANNOT stop reading but want to put it down because you don't want it to be over? That is exactly how I felt. I wish this book was as long as all of Brandon Sanderson's books combined. Yes, it's that serious.

ALSO THE MULTIPLE SWIFTIE EASTER EGGS BUT ALSO THE TAYLOR'S VERSION REFERENCE. FLAWLESS.

I cried at least three times reading, and every time I was feeling a very different emotion.
I will be thinking of and rooting for Gwen and Xander in literally every single moment of my brain for the foreseeable future.

Gwen and Xander are both musical prodigies, but in complete opposite ways. She definitely knows who he is, and their paths have intertwined over the years, but never directly. Until Gwen plays at a wedding for one of his friends and he has the nerve to critique her performance...and that's literally all I'm giving you of the plot because Julie writes it SO articulately and I NEED you all to have an organic reading experience that will shatter you into a million pieces and put you back together again over and over until you can't take any more, okay? Because that's what happened to me and I can confidently say that I need this book to be consumed by every single last one of you. Thanks <3

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Thank you Julie for writing this book. <3

I absolutely loved this book. Julie Soto is an auto buy author for me ever since Forget Me Not. I know next to nothing about orchestras or playing instruments, but it was never a problem. Her descriptions are so gorgeous. It kind of makes me want to pick up a violin, honestly.

My favorites parts were when Gwen and Xander wrote and played music together. And the cello scene was...🔥

There was a conflict at the end that felt like it had a rushed resolution and not very satisfying. But overall, a fantastic read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Julie Soto for the arc! I will read anything and everything this author writes!

ONE BILLION STARS.

The only bad thing about this book is that I can’t read it for the first time ever again.

Not Another Love Song uses such a great setting with the Manhattan Pops. Brilliant tension between characters. The city and creative life of the main characters really fuels the story. Gwen's world felt real and interesting! The Cello Suite chapters were enjoyable that offered good insight into Alex/Xander's character.

The only time I felt a little thrown out of the story / distracted was during some of the passages where many music words / vocab was used, particularly during the steamier scenes. In those moments, I was left wondering what I might be missing from not knowing those words but those passages still flowed easily enough that it wasn't disruptive.

Highly recommend for fans of contemporary romance, work set in NYC, or those interested in supporting the original fiction of folks who started out in AO3-like communities!