I had the thought in my head that this was a perfectly acceptable romance, but not one I’d particularly remember in a couple of months, then it to to the scene where Xander has Gwen play the piece he wrote for her without her knowing that and I was like. Hmm. Perhaps I will remember. After that, we were off to the races and I was invested. (However it was also odd that Xander/Alex was fully tripping over himself for this girl he’d had maybe 2 actual conversations with, but sure). Once we got past the part where he was just glaring at her across the stage and they started speaking, it was fun and dramatic and emotional. You can see where this was originally a fanfiction, but it has all of what makes fanfiction so fun.

This was also around the time Gwen started to grow a backbone, so that helped. I am so, so tired of reading about female characters who are incredibly naive about the shady things that happen behind the scenes in their career fields (not saying these things should happen or be accepted but like… do they live under a rock). Maybe I’m just tired of the plot line where the character arc is all about ~finding your voice and gaining self-confidence~. Obviously that can be done very well, but why does it always have to be that? Anyway, Gwen did have that character arc but it wasn’t as obnoxious as it could have been and it happened gradually, not all at once at the end. I was proud of her.

This book also really captured all of the great parts of playing music. Sight-reading? So much fun. Playing live and having the music surround you? Amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this arc!

It’s a no for me. DNF at 13%. I just couldn’t get into this plot or characters and it is not because it was in 3 PPOV. Which by the way I was shocked to discover when my bestie told me about it. Really disappointed it didn’t work out since I absolutely loved Forget me Not. Thank you NetGalley

Julie Soto has done it again!!!! This was the book of the year for me so far! Not only was it released on my birthday, but I truly feel like this book was written for me. Gwen and Xander’s musical connection felt as easy and whimsical as their love story. Although they went through some hardships, Soto’s writing style keeps everything entertaining and romantic. This is definitely in my top romances!

Cute and quick read - beautifully highlighting the inside of the music industry while also celebrating a lead who puts her career first. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Not Another Love Song is a tale of two musician prodigies who find each other through working at the Manhattan Pops-- but one is also a rock star musician, and the other is a long time fan! So in a chance meeting outside of work and he gets to hear her play outside of work, so starts an obsession to make music and love together.

Also, this book is very specifically a re-written/named Star Wars fic (the author explains this both in the forward and the afterward). Even outside the main two (is Adam Driver getting royalties for the cover??) you can tell who some of the other characters started life as, and sometimes it was distracting or a bit of a stretch

I'm not someone who can easily put aside reality when I'm reading, even romance novels, so the whole, "TWO child prodigies! And now she can play cello and it's still but enough to make this dude fall head over heels for her! And now she's FIRST CHAIR after two years!'

I really didn't like most of this book! It started getting better, to me, at about 60%-plus in but as someone who reads fic I can tell that this book, being formerly a fanfic, very much relies on the readers already familiar with the characters -- what they LOOK like (I cannot tell you what Lorenz is supposed to look like, or Nathan, etc), what they're all about -- and because this is supposed to be a standalone novel we are not supposed to have that familiarity already. And me, who is not really a fan of the newer Star Wars movies and definitely not into Reylo (no hate, I just don't... get it...) I don't have those assumptions and the things the Reylo fans like already built in.

Also, the sex scenes were built up to be these great things and I honestly... fell asleep during at least two of them, and when reading I had to go back because I had missed something happening and was like "they're doing what now?"

It's a shame because I actually really like the 'he falls first' vibe when a dude is just like DOWN BAD for the other party but maybe it's because it seemed really sudden or out of nowhere with him still being a dick to her or making assumptions and then Gwen just really not having... .much personality at all. Maybe again this is where the writing assumes you're supposed to know what they're like already due to fic-origin?

I used to play violin (I only stopped because of familial moving!) and I was in a school orchestra and I just... I don't know, man. There were so many things in this book that SHOULD have hit that just really did not for me. Instead, I was just sort of gritting my teeth at this dude and how he treated her despite wanting things from her. It's also a shame because I've only heard great things about Julie Soto (I'm a Sacramento-person! Everyone here sings high praises of Forget Me Not!) so I'll try that book... but this one.... well, I finished the whole thing, anyway, and I'm glad I did because it did get better in the last third... but man. Disappointing overall.

Three stars instead of two because it did turn a bit around and also I know a lot of it is "maybe this is not for me".... or at least I hope so! It really should have been for me though looking at the bullet points.

I absolutely devoured this book, definitely a 5 star read for me, and it was beautifully written, and didn’t want to put down this book. He falls first and tries to help her better her playing and career as a violinist, while she’s tried and fails to avoid him. The spice scene was very artistically done, and not written like your typical scene. This book is written with music details, but I feel like even people without a music background can enjoy the details in the book.

I was THRILLED to receive an ARC for Julie Soto's next release. I LOVED Forget Me Not. With that said, these characters fell a little flat for me (no musical pun intended). The FMC is quite naive - wish she had been a bit more complex. The MMC? Excuse me sir but no, not dreamy enough. I loved the musical references and getting a glimpse into a life not often told in stories. And I would 100% pick up Julie Soto's next release but this was 3.5 for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Julie Soto does it again! This was everything I could’ve asked for in a romance. I felt so sucked in from the beginning. Enemies to lovers is my FAVORITE, so reading how their dynamic played out was a real treat. Though I’ll admit, I am not a musical person and it took me some time to grasp the concepts discussed particularly in the beginning about the various string instruments. But I’m telling you, I will buy ANYTHING Julie Soto writes for the rest of my life!

I loved this book so much that I bought the physical copy as soon as it released. Julie Soto has quickly become an auto buy author for me and an author whose book releases I anticipate. I think this is my favorite of hers so far. If you are a music lover you will adore this book. Music is the central theme to the story and also to the MC’s lives. It’s actually how they meet. At a wedding venue. Music basically has a life of its own in this book and is central to the theme. Gwen and Alex were perfection as the MC’s and if you haven’t picked up a book from this author do not miss out. Her love and meticulous attention to detail make for an all engrossing experience. A story that you want to read again and again!!

Hot and sexy. The tension in this book is top notch. I love a good enemies-to-lovers and Not Another Love Song delivered just that. I need to read more from Julie Soto!

A steamy romance 'anime', Not Another Love Song is a solid sophomore effort after Forget Me Not (the ordering is a tad muddled since parts of this novel have existed prior to being re-worked for traditional publishing—so technically this is kind of a 'debut' as well?); a little more larger-than-life (hence the reference to the colorful, bombastic Japanese animation in the beginning), and even hornier comparing to Forget Me Not, but with all the strengths we already come to expect coming from Julie Soto: emotive writing (and sensual/sexual when called for), purposeful and heartfelt incorporation of its symbolism (music), and the dynamic arcs experienced by its cast.

The romance is ever so slightly overshadowed by intrigues of the music industry (how to drive up sales, marketing ploys, etc.), but I find the subject to be equally fascinating and a non-issue. On the other hand, the exaggerated, cartoony portrayal of its hero and heroine could be a little off-putting, especially comparing to the more grounded counterparts in Forget Me Not (I immediately picture Gwen and Xander as manga characters with googly eyes rather than real people). But aside from the slight stylistic differences, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading Not Another Love Song—really reminds me of Nodame Cantabile, and now I'm craving classical music!

A perfect read. Literally perfect... no notes. I like Forget Me Not but it felt super heavy in wedding planning and kinda lost me in some parts. I was fearful this would do the same but MAN was I wrong. Xander was the perfect embodiment of a misunderstood bad boy. Ive never read a MMC written so beautifully and complex. Gwen was also heartbreakingly pure. My heart literally ached for her and her loneliness. Wow.... I will suggest this book to every human I meet in passing from now on.

I really enjoyed this book. Two people from different walks of life fall in love all while making beautiful music in the process. Gwen and Xander/Alex's love story was a slow burn that was worth it in the end. The emotions and the passion comes through the pages so well. The tension, the banter and steamy scenes were too great. CHEF'S KISS! I also read Forget Me Not and I loved to see Ama and Elliot make an appearance in this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever publishing for the gifted copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this love story by Julie Soto! Not Another Love Song is is not only about two opposites finding a mutual love for their music, but one about finding themselves in the process. I love when an author is able to pull the reader into their story and show just how much growth their characters can accomplish in a few hundred pages. Soto has a knack for taking a unique topic (i.e., violins, cellos, orchestras) and giving her readers an inside look at the inner workings of this world. I felt like I had a backstage pass to an orchestra, one I would have never have known about otherwise. Although talk of this world goes over my head at times, I still appreciated the little nuances Soto includes. While Gwen and Xander's love was hot and heavy, it was also deeply romantic. That cello scene was top tier in my books.

Thank you to Forever publishing and netgalley for an e-arc of Not Another Love Song. Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me, and she should be for you too!

I loved this book so much. This is the first book I've read from Julie Soto and I enjoyed it so much that I'll definitely be reading more books that she has published. Gwen and Alex are adorable together the tension in this book is immaculate. I enjoyed how music was incorporated into the book it always felt purposeful and made the story so much more enjoyable. I enjoyed how the romance developed throughout the story and how fun the side characters were such as Mei and Jacob. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend this book, it was such a fun read, it was amazing and I can't wait to see what's next for this author. Thank you to Forever/ Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for our honest review.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

This book is about two talented musicians. Alex/Xander and Gwen both play for the Manhattan Pops. They both have insecurities where their music is concerned, however they are given amazing opportunities. Not everything is as it seems, and they are both being used in different ways in order to further the ambitions of others.

This was my first book by Soto, and I have to say that once I got started, I finished it in pretty short order. I enjoyed the writing style. I am conflicted over the story though. I can't say that I really loved it. I'm not sure if I'm getting too old for romances involving characters in their 20s or if I'm not loving the amount of steam because I tend to speed read through most of it. Are other details being left out in order to have more room for steamy times that, in my opinion, really don't always enhance the story? For example, Alex's father. I found myself wanting to know more there. Will I try another Julie Soto book? Maybe. We will see.

My sincere thanks to Forever and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

Another hit from Julie Soto! I loved Forget Me Not when I read it earlier this year so I was very excited to read her next book. This is about 2 musicians who play the violin (Gwen) and the cello (Xander). They are considered to be rivals then turned lovers. This also has an amazing found family aspect as you read the story. This cover is gorgeous and sooooooooo hot! And the "cello scene" is EVERYTHING! IYKYK!! This was fun, sexy and steamy and I'm ready to listen to all things cello in all the playlists on Spotify!

Honestly loved this so much! My first Julie Soto book.

The way music went hand in hand with love (and the other kind of love 😉) was everything. You could feel it all and were hungry for more. I loved the relationship (feud to lovers) developed between Alex/Xander and Gwen. I loved how their characters were so their own people, but were magnified and electrified with the other.

Julie Soto is back with her second novel in Not Another Love Song. Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of this book. I have seen movies with the premise of one or both main characters being a musician of some kind, and I have always tended to like them, so I was definitely looking forward to this one. I always love a good enemies to lovers, and this one definitely delivered on that front as well. There is plenty of sizzle between the two main characters, and I think readers will love this one as much as I did!

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #NotAnotherLoveSong by Julie Soto in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book was fabulous! The characters were compelling and I wanted to spend all my time with them. The story of these two musical prodigies falling in love was beautiful and emotional and tough at times which made it more believable. This was my first book by Julie Soto and now I want to go read her other books. I can easily see her being an autobuy author for me.