4.5 stars

This book honestly had no right being this hot. Who knew I could blush this much reading about fictional characters playing instruments somewhat near each other?

I loved Julie's debut, Forget me Not , and was so excited to see where she would go next. She definitely delivered with this one. It had a fun, unique setting and amazing side characters just like her first book, but her main characters felt even more fleshed out and realistic.

If anything, I struggled a bit with feeling like Gwen was basically vulnerable and primed to fall in love with the first person who would be willing to offer her any sort of commitment due to her very difficult childhood. Fortunately, no one in the history of the world has ever been as down bad as Alex. I honestly don't think I've ever read a more obsessed MMC in a contemporary romance. He was absolutely gone the second she pressed a bow to his strings, if you know what I mean. These two arguably need each other to an unhealthy degree, but it sure does make the chemistry stupid good.

I could not put this book down. It hooked me from the very first page. New York + a violinist + a cellist = my new favorite romance. You do not have to be a classical musical lover to enjoy this read. Alex and Eve were great characters. Mabel, Ava, Jacob, and Declan were loveable supporting characters. This story had me obsessed. His secret pining for her.... and THE TENSION. It was so thick it could suffocate. I laughed out loud. This spice was just enough without being too much. This was an easy 5-star romance read for me.

Thanks to net galley for the advanced copy :)

I was truly shocked at how fast I read this book, how invested I was, wild character development, insane chemistry, my love for Alex… like honestly best book of 2024 so far.
Btw I highlighted like 8 lines that I want a guy to say to me

When I saw this was available to "read now," I RAN to download it!! I loved Julie Soto's debut, Forget Me Not, and was so excited to read this one. It did not disappoint. The tension, the chemistry, the "from two worlds" of it all, the MUSIC — I really enjoyed this book. And not just for the spice, but for how these two characters were like magnets to each other. Julie also did a great job with the various characters in this book — I was rooting for some while simultaneously rooting for others to fail (or maybe get what they deserve is more accurate). The wedding scene at the beginning of the book immediately drew me in and I couldn't stop. I literally wish I could hear the music Gwen and Alex wrote together. The third act was a little tough to get through, and it surprised me in some ways. I understand why it was set up the way it was, but I think there should've been a stronger resolution between some of the characters. All in all though? Excellent book, loved reading it the whole time.

I read this in one sitting. I physically could not put it down. I am obsessed with Julie Soto and the characters she writes. The chemistry, tension, and romance is on a whole other level. This had me literally giggling and kick in me feet. These characters are so real, raw, flawed, and struggling with their own internal wars which makes them impossible to not relate to and become attached too. I loved the way music was talked about in this book. Truly incredibly romantic I will never listen to the violin or cello the same way.

Well, I devoured this book in less than 24 hours...! Absolutely loved the tension between two music rivals. I appreciated that Alex and Gwen's relationship was not rushed, there were no cringy scenes AND they didn't have any terms of endearment for each other. Their character development was great! All characters in this romance book were well written.

I have... no words for this. I downloaded this ARC and finished it in less than 8 hours. This book is SO GOOD that I am sitting here speechless. I knew Julie Soto could write, I've read Forget Me Not, I've read her FanFiction, I know she.can.write. But I didn't know she could write like THIS.

At 6% in I was completely hooked. I felt Gwen's nervousness at the wedding, I felt it. My heart was racing. I have only felt like that when I'm reading an epic battle scene in a Fantasy novel. And all she was doing was playing the cello and not the violin (of course in front of a famous cello player, but nbd). Not Another Love Song was like that for me for the ENTIRE book. I am blown away.

I loved the emotional maturity of Gwen and Alex. The healthy relationship. I enjoyed the side characters and hello! Seeing Ama and Elliott again? *Chef's kiss*

Every time I set my Kindle down, I was blown away at what I'd just read. How Julie Soto made playing music spicier and more intimate, then an actual sex scene, I do not know. But my gosh, I have never, ever in my 15+ years of reading, set a book down and went, "Whoa" I had to take a breather. It wasn't even a romantic scene, they were just making music together. My heart is racing just thinking about it. But we can talk about the spice too, that was also, really-really good. Not too much, didn't overtake the plot, and was in all the right places.

This book is not 5 stars, it's 10 stars. I was a Julie Stan before this book, but I am a DIEHARD Julie Stan now. Everyone should be reading this book.

ARC review: Okay I’m new to contemporary romance but this had everything I could have wanted…my former musician heart is so happy. Their whole story and vibe had me kicking my feet and giggling. And the spice was 🤭🤌🏼🔥(I mean…the cover is just the beginning you guys…)

4.5/5 stars!! I REALLY CAN'T PUT INTO WORDS WHY I LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH, BUT I DID. I REALLY DID. IMO, NOT AS GOOD AS FORGET ME NOT, BUT STILL FANTASTIC. IT IS A GRUMPY X SUNSHINE, RIVALS TO LOVERS, MUSICIAN ROMANCE WITH FOUND FAMILY. OF COURSE, THE ONLY THING I REALLY DIDNT LOVE WAS THE POV. I LOVE FIRST POV, SO THIS BEING IN THIRD POV WAS SOMETHING TO GET USED TO. IT'S MOSTLY FMC FACING, WITH A FEW CHAPTERS FOCUSING ON THE MMC. IT DIDN'T MAKE THE STORY BAD, I'M JUST NOT USED TO IT. OTHERWISE, IT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL & UNIQUE LOVE STORY. THERE IS A TINY BIT OF SPICE, BUT I WOULDN'T CONSIDER THIS A SPICY STORY. BUT IT IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY. THE MMC WAS COMPLEX BUT A GENUINELY GOOD HUMAN. THE RELATIONSHIP PROGRESSION WAS RELAXED & ALLOWED TIME TO SEE THE STORY BLOSSOM.
OVERALL, I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH THIS STORY. I'VE NEVER READ ANYTHING ELSE LIKE IT!

I was a huge fan of Forget Me Not - and this one did not disappoint. I loved the characters and their chemistry! The plot kept me engaged and I finished it in one sitting.

This book was so cute and great. The romance was perfect as was the pacing. It also made me feel a lot and I loved that. One of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint.

I devoured Not Another Love Song! Julie Soto's writing kept me captivated...I didn't want to put the book down. I loved the concept of this story. It was fun to read a romance set in the orchestra world. I thought Gwen and Alex were fantastic main characters. I enjoyed watching them grow and choose what's best for them. Soto did a great job of creating tension between Alex and Gwen. I loved all the studio scenes with Alex and Gwen. That first scene of them recording was 🔥🔥. The side characters were pretty decent...I do wish we got to see more of Jacob and Declan. Although the ending felt a tad bit rushed, I was still impressed by Soto's work. I will be thinking about this book for a while. Thank you to Forever for the ARC.

This was such a great read! I enjoyed it so much! I was giddy & cackling! I could not put this down!

I have been looking forward to this so I was sooo happy to see it available on net galley.
It’s such a great story, I'm clueless about classical music but this did a really good job of making it relevant and not feel stuffy at all!
Excellent cameo from Ama and Elliot.

It’s going to be perfect for a summer read!

I’ve always been obsessed with the art of composing music and more so, instruments even though I don’t play any, hoping to learn in the future. With that comes the fascination with anyone, child prodigy or not, who beautifully speaks the language of music with instruments.
All of these drew me to start this book and the appreciation for the art is x100 more.
Music evokes profound emotions in me that sometimes I can’t put into words. This book did that. That was my connection to Gwen and Alex.

“If music be the food of love, play on.”- William Shakespeare

This was the phrase that popped into my head after I saw the stunning cover of this book and I’m so glad I took the leap.

Gwen and Alex come from different worlds, she’s a self-taught violinist just trying to build a stable career and he’s a cellist and a rockstar living his dream but their musical connection is undeniable. I loved their banter, the tension when they were in the same room?! Insane!!! the passion?! so palpable. Being able to connect with someone on such a deep level is an awe to witness, more so through words. Pushing going to see an orchestra live to the very top of my bucket list! I loved that despite the internal conflict on both ends, they couldn’t deny that what they had was special. They found a home in each other without realizing they were looking. Tropes wise, I’m now a sucker for musical rivals to lovers gonna need more books to feed this 😂 I always mention when a third act breakup happens cause most of the time I feel it’s pointless…but in this book, it made so much sense and I loved how organically it was weaved into their story.

Cannot wait to share more in-depth thoughts closer to the pub date. I flew through this book, I laughed, aww-ed, stayed frozen in admiration, kicked and screamed at the beauty of music. If you are a music lover, this story will make you feel all the feels.

Don’t walk, runnnn on July 16th when this gem is out in the world. Julie Soto has a new fan!

I absolutely adored this book! It was heartwarming and different from other musician centered romances i’ve read.

Violinist, Gwen Jackson and cellist, Xander Throne come from two completely different worlds. While Gwen started playing on her own at 11 with help from Mabel, Xander’s career began at just two years old. However, they may have more in common than they originally thought.

I LOVED Xander and Gwen’s dynamic through the story. While their personalities are difference their inner selves are mirrors! Because of that, they understand certain parts of each other that are often overlooked.

When the orchestra’s hierarchy begins to shift, Gwen is offered the position of concertmaster something Xander has been secretly pining after since his childhood causing tensions to arise.

As someone who has played violin for over a decade, positions such as concertmaster, first chair, and section leader are highly coveted. It was a brilliant and completely believable idea to implement this as one of the story’s conflicts.

Despite the tension, these two can’t seem to stay away from each other. Their passion and love for the music they can create together, keeps them from completely disregarding each other.

Overall, I loved reading Gwen and Xander’s story. Soto does an amazing job of conveying the emotional power of music and that it’s so much more than just notes on a page.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this E-Arc!!

Julie Soto has once again delivered a captivating story that truly resonates! "Not Another Love Song" has swiftly become one of my favorite romances and easily my favorite romance of 2024. Enriched with some of the BEST tropes. If you're enamored by Ali Hazelwood’s STEM romances or captivated by the rivalry found in Emily Henry’s "Beach Read," then this book is an absolute must-read!

Despite my limited knowledge of classical music, extending only as far as the "Bridgerton" soundtrack, I found myself pleasantly surprised. Soto masterfully weaves classical music into the narrative without alienating readers unfamiliar with the music genre or jargon (I do have to admit I did need to look up a few words). If you are a music savant then I am sure you will get a kick out of this book since some of the music related jokes went over my head.

Gwen and Xander are portrayed as robust and multifaceted characters, a feat not easily achieved for both the female and male leads in a romance novel. Often, once the main characters come together, romance novels lose their charm for me. However, this was not the case with "Not Another Love Song." Initially, I believed I was thoroughly enjoying the book, but the final 20% kept me so engaged I could hardly put the book down and elevated this rating to a solid 5-star rating in my eyes.

Julie Soto has unequivocally become an auto-buy author for me. I eagerly anticipate devouring anything she writes.

Thank you to Read Forever Pub and Julie Soto for providing me with an advanced reader copy through NetGalley.

This book was amazing, even better than Forget Me Not. I'm a sucker for a romance book that involves music, especially when both main characters music make it together (and not it just one way). And loved that we see a small cameo from Elliot and Ama.
Longer review to come
4.5 stars

It's 2AM, and I have work in 4 hours because I couldn't put this down. I needed to know how it ends. It's crazy to me how I can read so many romcoms and I'm still blown away by really good writing.



The banter is great, Some of the inside jokes make me laugh, and I love that she brought it back to the first book she wrote "forget me not"


✅ rivals to lovers
✅moody MMC
✅ found family
✅ Taylor Swift reference

No notes - this book was amazing and I will definitely read it again. Julie Soto's writing was so descriptive and beautiful. I felt like I was totally absorbed in the world she created and I was totally immersed into the music through her descriptions. Normally, when music/songs are described in books, it can be hard to imagine what it would sound like in my head, but I could totally hear it in this book.

Xander is the epitome of the tortured artist with a soft spot for Gwen. He's been shaped by harsh life experiences. It was such a joy to see him fall first/hard for Gwen. THE TENSION between them!! And I LOVED Gwen: even though her life was not where she wanted it to be, she carried herself with respect and dignity, and I admired that. She wasn't afraid to think things over for herself and even though she describes herself as a people pleaser, she wasn't a total pushover with other people's opinions and demands and wasn't blindly following other people's directions. Xander and Gwen really fit like two pieces of a puzzle, and the music that they created together was magical! They were such a good couple, supportive of each other, and weren't afraid to call out the other person.

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy/Sunshine

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.