I absolutely adored “Not Another Love Song”.
Obviously it’s a love story, but it also felt like a love letter to music. The way Julie Soto wrote about the act of playing music and the feeling behind it was so beautiful. And the way she included that imagery when describing the love, both physical and emotional, between her characters was fantastic. Every time their relationship shifted and the frequency of the tightening of the string between them was mentioned, I could feel it, like the tuning of an instrument.

Gwen and Alex were an incredible pair. We were really able to grasp how talanted they both were, and I loved how similar their journeys were and the ways they overlapped throughout, without them even realizing; Like the red string of fate. I enjoyed watching them figure out what they really wanted and how to get there, as well as what was okay to leave behind. I think they grew a lot as characters and it was fun to watch.

I loved the cello suite interludes that give us a bit of Alex’s perspective and insight. He was a complicated character so getting glimpses into his past and present really helped understand him. It loved getting to watch him become inspired and compose ‘Not A Love Song’ for Gwen. The way they composed the music together and completed each other’s parts was incredible.

“Not Another Love Song” was so so good. My exact words when I finished the last page were “oh no. I finished it”. I cannot wait to buy a copy in print, and read it again!

I enjoyed every minute of this book and wished I was more musical so I could hear the music. The romance felt authentic and the conflict made sense in the story. I will absolutely read this book again.

Thanks NetGalley for the early access to the ebook.

Julie Soto does it again! I absolutely loved this book. The characters are complicated yet likable. The background characters are interesting as well. I loved that we got a sprinkling of dual POV. If you loved Forget Me Not, you’ll love this story as well.

I was able to read an advanced digital copy through Netgalley. I enjoyed this book SO MUCH! I laughed, kicked my feet, cried, cringed, sighed, and when I had to set it down for a bit to participate in daily life, I found myself thinking about it. I loved the characters so much, and *that* scene...😍😍😍 I've already recommended this to a few friends and will absolutely be reading it again!

I absolutely loved this book! The music, the romance, the tension, the spice 🥵 Julie Soto has done it again! I have always been a music lover and seeing how the characters used music to connect to each other was amazing. It's usually hard for me to get into books in third person but I was so entranced that it was a quick read for me. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and even though I don't play any instruments, I found the musical descriptions engaging. I liked that they had that in common and it was such a source of both joy and tension for them/their story. I would have liked a little more of Alex's POV. What was there felt like it might have been added after the fact and I feel like hearing from him earlier would have made the initial parts of the story more engaging since I didn't really like him in the beginning and therefore wasn't itching to read on.
I loved Forget Me Not and this is a close second to that. I can't wait to read more romances by her.

This may be Julie Soto's best work yet (not including The Auction from her fanfic days, because that will always be my all time fave!). I could not put Not Another Love Song down, it was all I could think about. I loved the world she built around Gwen and Alex, and how much I got to learn about the world of professional classical musicians and the settings they play in. Julie really knows how to write a "he falls first *and* he falls harder" story and it hits EVERY TIME. I loved their love story and I was enthralled throughout. This is a new top fave of mine in the genre, I can't wait to reread at least once a year for the rest of my life.

I've been with this story since 2018 and it'll always live in my heart. The story of love and desperation and finding yourself that it tells is so beautiful and captivating. l've pushed every single person I know to read this so that everyone I know can experience this masterpiece. lovesbitca8 you'll always be famous

Describing music with words cannot be easy to tackle. It could be boring af, it could be cringy, it could be tedious. Julie made it captivating. It felt like magic. It felt like reading about Alex and Qwen playing together is the best medium of consuming it.

It’s been a long time since i’ve read something that has made my heart skip a beat. I can’t remember the last time i’ve cried with a character. This author brought out my inner empath.

I think it’ll be good for readers to know that I have never consumed an ounce of anything Star Wars in my life, and this book didn’t leave me feeling like i was missing anything.

Thank you NetGalley for the read! Could not put this down! Alex was the sweetest and a top book boyfriend!

Im a big big fan of Julie Soto’s writing, I loved reading Forget Me Not so I knew that I’d love this book too. I’m so glad I was able to read this thanks to NetGalley and Julie Soto.

I enjoyed every second of it, and I was so addicted to reading that I was even trying to read it during my bathroom breaks at work 😭 It had me giggling and blushing throughout the book, especially THAT scene!!

I’m so excited for it to come out in July so that I can get a physical copy 🥰

Spice level : 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I loved Julie Soto's debut 'Forget Me Not' so I eagerly got stuck into 'Not Another Love Song' and I was not disappointed. What's even lovely is appearances from Ama and Elliot.

While Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne both play in the same Manhattan Pops Orchestra, its a wedding side-gig that brings Gwen under Xander's radar and he cannot help but be drawn to her. Both are prodigies, though Gwen came to playing violin 'late' at aged 11, taught by Mabel, while Xander has been playing since he could hold a bow. But Gwen does not like the way Xander criticises her playing, not realising he's not criticising, just confounded how talented she is despite not playing the way he does.

There's a phrase 'writing about music is like dancing about architecture', yet Soto masterfully writes so viscerally that I could feel the way music transforms people and the crowds applauding Gwen and Xander. Music is the cataylst for Gwen and Xander to seduce each other. THAT cello scene is going to be one of the most memorable sexy and sensual scenes I've ever read, it rivals the pottery scene in the 1990s movie 'Ghost'. My ereader nearly burnt out!

This book, like her debut has been adapted by Soto's early AO3 Reylo fan fiction (something I didn't realise until after I read FMN). While I have no problems with this, I hope that she will diversify herself from the same, tired sunshine female/grumpy Adam Driver-looking male dynamic (even the cover is again a bit too close to Adam Driver).

Overall this book was like a beautiful symphony that swept me away into the story cementing Julie Soto as an auto-buy for me.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

Forget Me Not' was one of my favorite books last year, so I was highly anticipating Julie's 2nd novel. She absolutely did not disappoint, in fact, she's outdone herself. This book made me laugh, cry, and had my heart fluttering several times.

Classical music and orchestra music are lovely to me but not something I often listen to nor navigate towards so I was unsure how I'd feel about this being the primary theme. The descriptions Julie wrote for the music were absolutely stunning. It was almost like I could hear it and feel it. The scenes of Xander and Gwen playing were filled with so much passion, it was palpable. At points, it felt almost erotic even when it was a totally PG scene. I loved reading MCs stories individually as well as their story together. The journey they each went on was fascinating and inspiring. I easily could've read another 100-200 pages and still wanted more. I also really loved that, while this was a Reylo fanfic so I could picture the characters and mannerisms easily, it wasn't super in-your-face, and I wouldn't have known unless I was told. I'm a total Reylo shipper but for those that aren't into Star Wars or those characters, this book will still be fantastic.

The feelings this book gave me will carry me all through the rest of the week. I can not recommend both this book and Julie Soto enough. I am very much looking forward to whatever she puts out next, and I can't wait to buy the physical copy of this in July so I can read it over and over. And if anyone in the movie industry reads this, please make this a movie.

I have such a specific standard when it comes to my 5 star romance reads, that it’s almost impossible to give that to authors, but Julie Soto deserves it ALWAYS.

To start, Gwen and Xander, the violinist and the rockstar– complete opposites yet the compliment one another perfectly. Their chemistry is consistent throughout the book, and the yearning!!!!! Despite everything that could go wrong, the two naturally return to each other, each offering the other exactly what they need in life.

The writing in this book was magnificent. Julie Soto kept me entertained constantly, pulling me out of a months-long slump. Her pacing of the book was perfect for me, keeping the angst going for the perfect amount of time before tying the book off in the best way!

The fact remains: Nobody writes tension and spice like Julie Soto. *That one scene* that so beautifully graces the book cover will live in my head rent-free until the end of time. She writes a FLAWLESS broody, pining, angsty love interest and absurdly lovable side characters. (Declan is an icon. And Mei IS Awkwafina, is she not?) And I will forever adore her writing style; it always draws me in and keeps me invested. I read this book within 24 hours, so I think that speaks for itself.

I’m just not certain I’ve fallen in love with her main female characters yet, which makes me struggle to fall in love with the ship or the story. The third-act conflict and resolution were a bit disappointing for me.

Regardless—I truly believe her writing makes her books, and especially this book, must-reads for any romance lover. (That one scene alone is worth it! 🥵)

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for this e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to receive this arc!

I absolutely loved her book Forget Me Not when I read it a couple of months ago so I knew I wanted to read anything by Julie Soto and I luckily was able to read an advanced reader copy of Not Another Love Song.

If you enjoyed Forget Me Not, I think you’ll love this book. Some of the characters make a little cameo in this book which is a sweet touch (dw though bc you really can read them as stand alones). I don’t play any instruments so I personally don’t know a lot of these terms used to describe the music but I felt so connected to the story and the characters that it all made sense to me somehow. I will say, I don’t think this is rivals to lovers (which I’ve seen some people use to describe the book) as much as it is just not understanding one another and building a story in your brain that makes you feel like rivals. I also LOVED how real some of the problems felt. Sometimes in romance novels they have a rift after getting together that just feels stupid but every issue the couple had was (in my opinion) valid and understandable.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance!

eARC Book Review
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Publish Date: July 16, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️ 2/5 [chef kiss - perfect amount 👌]

The cover of this book, adorned with a cello, immediately caught my attention. As a lover of romance novels, I dove in eagerly and was pleasantly surprised. The relationship between Gwen and Xander was captivating, delicately balanced without overwhelming explicit scenes. Gwen's relatability kept me hooked, and I couldn't tear myself away from her story. Told primarily through her perspective, interspersed with Xander's "Cello Suites," the narrative's multidimensionality and lifespan-spanning characters added depth. Alongside the lovable characters, the presence of multiple antagonists heightened the story's complexity. Altogether, "Not Another Love Song" proved to be an addictive and heartwarming read, delivering on its promise of a perfect escape.

Thank you to Julie Soto and NetGallery for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It is my first Julie Soto book. And I loved it. The romance was perfect and I loved the music references.

Now I really wish I would have continued learning violin. But Alex and Gwen! Their chemistry was so off the freaking charts I felt like I was interrupting - that good!

Like all my reviews, this one is just going to be a chaotic blurt-all of everything I loved and hated. Gwen and Alex were things I loved. As stated above, they had an incredible to-read dynamic. I gobbled up all of their scenes and banter. I also loved how effortless and natural they felt falling for one another. I loved how the author wrote their musical performances. I could almost picture myself in Carnegie Hall, savoring the music.

There were factors, however, that prevented me from loving the book more than I do and rating it higher. Spoiler warning from here on out! You have been warned! I was not the biggest fan of the ending. Unlike their relationship, the conflict and concluding chapter were overdramatic and messy. It truly detracted from the story. And a large part of this chaotic ending was due to the fact of several "villains." There were too many quote-unquote bad guys trying to pull the loving pair apart - to the point where I was not rooting for a single older adult because of their potentially questionable motives. Not Just Another Love Song is a lovely book otherwise crowded by some bad aspects.

As always, thank you sincerely to the publishing company, author, and NetGalley!

This was so delightful. I loved the tension between the main characters and the romance that grew from their shared musical passion. Alex is such an attractive MMC and I loved how he showed love to Gwen through empowering her as a musician, encouraging her and being her number one fan. Gwen is an endearing and lovable character who I wanted all of the best things for. I was so happy with where her career ended up by the end of the book. The characterization in this book was so natural and real. Truly such a satisfying read. 🎻✨💌

*Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!