This was such a unique romance book, I have not read any book featuring an orchestra musician/musical prodigy, and I found that aspect of this book so interesting and very well written. I felt the way the music affected both of these characters in every scene of this book, it felt very well researched and atmospheric. I always love this author's writing, from reading her fanfiction and now having read both of her published works. She just has a way of writing the best tension/chemistry and I always get so invested in the romance. This book pulled me in immediately and it left me wanting to go to a symphony or orchestra performance to see where the inspiration came from. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Not Another Love Song
Julie Soto

this one’s for the music girlies and it doesn’t miss reminding you of that!! there’s a lot of music language embedded in the characters thinking, dynamics, and chemistry!! memories of my own music theory all just came screeching back a lil too quick 🙉

📍nyc setting
🎻 musical geniuses in pop orchestra
❤️‍🔥 reylo fanfic to trad pub, if you didn’t know, you’re GONNA know

what in the orchestral fever dream did I just experience?! highly recommend listening to orchestra pop covers while reading so you’re fully 🎼immersed🎶

they have a competitive vibe at the beginning but when did we shift?! I feel like I missed the train on that. the spice definitely spiced but at some points it just felt silly like wait wait WHATS HAPPENING

🏎️ LOL the post-Porsche ride, this is literally what guys think nice cars will make girls say🤭

I loved Forget Me Not so this was easily one of my most anticipated reads! it didn’t do it for me but it was a time!!! and you bet I’m still reading her next books!!👀

Absolutely loved this book! Excited to continue to recommend both Soto romance titles! I hope to see more from this lovable cast of characters!

Gwen Jackson, a reserved violinist, and Xander Thorne, an expressive cellist, navigate their contentious relationship within the Manhattan Pops. Their initial rivalry, fueled by Xander's sharp criticisms and Gwen’s new role as first chair—a position he coveted—evolves into a compelling connection. The story masterfully blends music and narrative, building a slow-burn romance that captivates with its emotional depth and humorous moments. Soto's skillful writing harmonizes the characters' musical and romantic journeys, creating a performance worth the standing ovation it demands. It is an unforgettable read that resonates like a beautifully composed symphony.

This was such an original and awesome story for me. Julie has been on my radar for a while so I was pretty ecstatic when I was approved for this arc. This book was just beautiful. I played viola in high school (a long a** time ago) so reading about the different positions and how the music spoke to both of these MCs was relatable. Both of these characters had such different stories but had the biggest thing in their lives in common- their love for music. I like that it started off rocky. I got a LITTLE annoyed with how much Gwen was pushing Alex away. But appreciated her persistence at the same time. I felt myself wondering what their music sounded like while reading about it. I also found myself BLUSHING and with the book in my face at the naked music room scene- DAMN Julie- that was scorching! I really found myself rooting for both of these characters to figure out how they could work together and build each other up. I liked learning about Alex's past and how Gwen was able to help him heal and move forward. I also liked getting sneaks of what I THINK might be the next couple (if there is another one) and peaks at Ama and Elliot from book 1 (which I plan to read).

Gwen has not only found herself late to this wedding gig she agreed to do with her roommate. She has now been asked to play cello while reading her violin music which she can do BUT it is harder. And now she finds out that this wedding involves people from her favorite band including the one and only Xander Thorne who she has a poster of in her apartment (I mean who doesn't). She thinks she pulls this off so isn't she surprised when none other than Xander tells her she played terribly. And now she gets to see him again at work since they are in the Pops together. The way he is looking at her is morphing though. Especially now that she is advancing in her career. At first, it seemed like disbelief. But now he just looks hungry and curious and like he wants to get to know her in all the ways. Which is how she finds herself in his apartment having an outer body experience playing music and doing other things together. She swears it can't happen again but she is only a woman. She can only resist for so long. Especially when he pushes her in the absolute best way and wants to make music together. But Gwen starts to unravel his past and wonders how that will all play out. Will he get bored and move on? Or will he realize they could be great together if he could just shed one of his skins?

I HIGHLY recommend this one!! I felt a lot of things but mostly wonder at the music they created together. I liked the few snippets of Alex's POV that we got. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Perfection from Julie, per usual. Great depth and great spice! Loved the NY details and music backdrop.

I saw people say that Julie Soto's second book was even better than her first one, and now I can confirm that that is, in fact, true.

Not Another Love Song is Reylo inspired, and I have not had great luck with those kinds of stories, but this one was fantastic. When Gwen is offered the first chair position in the Pops Orchestra, her and Xander Thorne are placed at odds with each other. Gwen has been striving for a consistent, comfortable life, while Xander seems to get handed opportunities despite his jerkish behavior. Though Gwen sees themselves as rivals, it seems as if Xander sees something else.

So here you get rivals to lovers, Orchestra goings-on, found family, and some seriously swoony spicy scenes. I did not realize the violin and the cello could be so intimate, but here we are, thanks to Julie Soto. Highly recommended for romance readers, stringed instrument lovers, and sure, Reylo shippers.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

𝐁𝐮𝐭, 𝐆𝐰𝐞𝐧, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲,...”

@juliesotowrites gets a standing ovation from me! This book was absolutely delicious. It was the perfect rivals to lovers, he falls first and hard, and it was SPICY. #iykyk

I loved Gwen and Alex. Gwen is such a realist but still remains positive while Alex is an optimist but he is SO grumpy. I loved this dichotomy because it feels like Alex should be the realist but he had a level of privilege that Gwen just didn’t. Watching them figure out themselves and each other had my heart pounding. At one point I was so anxious for the two of them because I could just tell that the drop was coming. There was a delicious push/pull of tension between them where it really amped up the emotional factor.

I also have to appreciate the way Julie Soto does her side characters. Jacob and Mabel felt like fully realized characters with strengths and flaws and it just made them so endearing. Especially with the way they love and support Gwen. I really enjoyed this one!

This book was such a nice surprise! (and also surprisingly spicy). I don't know much about classical music, but I wish I did after reading this because who knew it could be so romantic? OMG!

For being told in third person, I felt like I really got into the character's heads though I do think this would have been a 5 star read if it were 1st person dual POV becuase that is my favorite! I loved Gwen and how she was quirky without completely overdoing it, and Alex was quiet and mysterious but yet wore his heart on his sleeve, which I loved. Julie Soto will be an auto-buy author going forward for me!

This is easily one of my favorite books of the year so far! I truly loved everything about it - the characters, the setting, the plot, the romance. I can't stop raving about it to anyone who will listen!

When I saw this cover, (which, by the way, is stunning and I'm in love with it), I knew I had to read this book! I used to play the violin and have always wanted to play the cello, so that was an immediate yes for me. And one of my favorite parts of the book was the focus on the music, on the orchestra, and on the bond that grew between the characters because of their shared love for the music. I've never wanted a soundtrack for a book as much as I wanted one for this book!

I absolutely adored the main characters, Gwen and Xander. I loved Gwen's perseverance and hard-working nature. She's really just a sweet person who wants to find where she belongs. She contrasted perfectly with Xander, who really seems to not give one thought about anyone and appears to have an ego the size of Manhattan. But he is so much more complex than at first sight, and I loved getting to discover who he really is. He hides behind that grumpy, couldn't-care-less facade but as he fell for Gwen, his true, caring, attentive self shone through. The romance was an amazing slow burn, I could feel the tension the entire way through and I cannot even describe how perfect it was. Ali Hazelwood said that the cello scene will change your life... and she was not wrong!

Not only was this an absolutely perfect, scorching romance, but I just adored everything else about the story! I love reading about Gwen's experience in the orchestra and her dreams for her career. I loved the side characters (especially Jacob, Declan, and Mabel). The setting of New York City made me so nostalgic to visit again. It was all stunningly perfect.

This book had me gasping out loud and staying up at all hours of the night to finish it! I loved it!

Thank you to Julie Soto, Read Forever Pub, and Netgalley for the ARC! This is my honest review.vvvv

4.75 / 5 stars!

I struggled a bit between a 4.75 and 5/5 stars for this, and finally landed on 4.75 stars rounded up to 5!

Pros:
Note that I did originally read this in fanfic form; however it's been long enough that I only recognized the opening scene and The Cello Scene, so I wasn't caught between comparing the book to its fanfic counterpart (very often). The characters felt like their own people and not just copy-pasted images from fanfic staples, and the plot kept just as much of my attention as the romance - sometimes to the point that I cared more about that than the romance! The non-romatic relationships felt real and fleshed-out, and I especially loved Gwen's friends Mei and Jacob.

Gwen is the main POV for the majority of the story, though there are glimpses of Alex/Xander's POV in the form of "Cello Suite" interludes. There are only a handful of these suites, just enough to get a feeling for Alex and his thoughts and feelings without taking away from Gwen's perspective and story.

This book hit a lot of sweet-spot tropes for me, including rivals to lovers, he falls first (and harder), and one of them misinterprets romantic feelings as rivalry. It was also laugh-out-loud funny, and the romantic tension between Gwen and Alex was so palpable I felt giddy at times!

Despite not being musically inclined, it didn't really hold me back while reading, even with the more technical aspects. When it came time to imagine the music between Gwena and Alex, my mind immediately went to "Winter" by Paul Halley ♡

Cons:
Full transparency, this book was mostly vibes for me instead of brain-usage, and while I was aware of the passage of time throughout, it wasn't a pressing issue. I was unclear on the timeline, so when Gwen and Alex both give their declarations of love I was like "Whoa hang on, you guys have barely been together?" Looking back, I feel like they were together/interacting for at least 4 months (and this IS a romance book of course), so I tried to ignore it and move on, but it still grated on me.

Overall:
I loved this book, and definitely reccomend! It had just the right amount of tension, romance, spice, and non-romantic plot.

I’m not reading a lot this season but what I am reading is banger after banger. And Not another love song is the latest in this series of bangers. I didn’t know what to expect when I got the arc except that I adored that cover and had to have the book, but it lived up to its promise. And that scene on the cover 🫠

I’ll confess I know basically nothing of the technicalities of music and its language, but this book translates the language of music for the layperson. I don’t mean it explains what the words mean or anything, but it’s written so you feel it viscerally nonetheless. It’s sheer poetry, flowing through you like water, fiercely passionate, caressing your senses with said passion and showcasing the author’s mastery of craft.

Speaking of, Gwen and Alex are both geniuses of their craft but that’s where their similarities end. Both come from different backgrounds, he is grumpy to her sunshine, and their paths collide at the orchestra they’re both a part of. Sparks fly, but the enemies kind before their transformation into the sxxy kind. One thing I’m sure to love is a Reylo fic, and this started as one so it makes sense that I’m obsessed.

Alex’s confused obsession with Gwen is one of my favorite things and I was a swooning puddle for most of the book. Their banter, the tension between them, pulled taut due to their reluctant fascination with each other and the other’s talent on the strings? Obsessed. And when that string finally snaps, they make beautiful, steamy music together. All puns intended. I don’t understand arpeggios and legatos, but let me tell you I felt the melody in my bones when they were basically music fcking each other. I knew music could be sxxy but never knew descriptions of classical instrument music could basically have me sitting in front of a fan trying to cool myself down. I was on a train dammit. Feeling alll kinds of ways about these two.

I’m excited to go back and read Ama’s book, but I really really hope we get Luke’s book because a girl is intrigued.

Not Another Love Song was an adult romance with an enemies to lovers vibe. I wasn’t ever able to connect to any of the characters, and that always affects my enjoyment of stories. Yet so many other people have loved this book. If you’re looking for a story that is heavily steeped in music and has a lot of push and pull, then add this one to your tbr!

Right from the beginning, Xander Thorne could be so rude and condescending to Gwen Jackson. Yet I loved Gwen’s tenacity and her ability to try and rise above the situation. And as the story unraveled, we saw that Xander could be a nice guy…. when he wanted to be. He had so many different sides. He not only seemed to have a lot going on under the surface, but secrets too. I was definitely intrigued by him, and Gwen couldn’t help but be too.

Not Another Love Song had so many moments that surrounded us with music. Those scenes when Gwen and Xander would play together? The tension between them felt electric. And that was explosive when they took their working relationship to more. Xander and Gwen could be so steamy, and the reader got all the details. This love story wrapped up looking a year into the future, which will leave those wanting a HEA so happy! But for me, I felt like an outsider never being able to connect to any person or scene unfortunately. Here’s hoping you’re able to make that connection!

Omg Julie Soto has done it again. I am so sad this book ended? Like obviously all books have an ending but why? This one really should have gone on forever…
In all seriousness, I really deeply loved this story and it’s for sure a new favorite for me. I remember feeling the same way when I finished Forget Me Not and I was afraid this wouldn’t live up to my expectations but it absolutely exceeded them.
I don’t even care what the next book is, I need it yesterday.

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

So I went into this book not realizing that this was originally Reylo fanfiction and thank goodness for that. I think if I had known, I wouldn't have enjoyed this as much as I did. While the book has its flaws, there is something about Soto's writing that I really engages me. I was invested in the story and the characters. However, I didn't love the excessive broodiness of Xander. I love a broody MMC, but he needed more POV chapters for me to truly root for him so to speak. The broodiness was also similar to Soto's previous MMC in Forget Me Not so I didn't love that. Also, I am not a musician, but some of the music and instruments aspects of the story seemed a bit unrealistic. And if I'm thinking that as a non-musician, then I can't imagine what actual musicians would think. With all that said, the romance hit more for me than the one in Forget Met Not. I felt these characters had chemistry and even though I think the musical components seem unrealistic, I did like the setting and the fact that music was a central aspect of the story.

While I've had mixed feelings about Soto's novels, I generally enjoy her writing style and I am looking forward to her future books (please no more Reylo fanfic tho. I am begging).

This has been one of my absolute favorite romance books I have read all year. The set up for this plot with a rivaling cello and violin player in the same orchestra was something that I haven't seen yet in the book market and filled a void I didn't even know I had. It hit in all the right places and I really enjoyed the writing and flow of the book. The chemistry and angst in this were insane and so palpable it came off the pages. I am already so excited to reread this.

Wow this enemies to lovers fan fic was everything I didn't know I needed when I started page 1. Wow. I loved the steamy scenes SO much. The rivalry set in a musical setting? Genius! However the end didn't do much for me as well as the third act breakup.

Julie Soto knocks it out of the park once again! She writes amazing angsty, dark-haired MMCs and Xander Thorne might just be my new favorite. Gwen is a violinist for the Manhattan Pops where she plays across from the one and only Xander Throne, the lead cellist for the orchestral rock band Thorne and Roses. When partnered together to perform at a wedding, both Gwen and Xander realize that when they play together, they create magic. Can they work together without falling apart or are they doomed to ruin their careers before they even start?

Every time I read one of Julie Soto's books I'm reminded of how much I love good writing and character-building. She makes you like (or dislike) each character because of the depths of her story-building and character development. The characters aren't 2 dimensional and actually have personality to them. I'm a huge metal/rock fan so for Xander to be a rockstar heart-throb, I obviously fell for him fast. Julie's contemporary romances are some of the only ones to make me truly emotionally connect with the characters and the story without getting easily bored. I become teary-eyed every time.

Please understand when I say I am obsessed with this book, I mean I am OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK. I absolutely devoured it within two days and enjoyed every single second of it. The characters, the drama, the plot, the setting, the spice. And the way everything connected to music? Perfection.

Gwen and Xander are both members of an NYC pops orchestra and have become a bit of rivals after Gwen plays cello (not her usual instrument) at a wedding that included Xander in the bridal party, and then proceeds to get first chair violin, something Xander has wanted his entire life. Xander also happens to be the cellist and frontman for the band Thorne and Roses, a band Gwen loves, and he has the reputation that goes with it. They spend much of the book circling each other in the music world and soon find there is something special that comes when they work together.

I absolutely adored both of their characters and ate up every scene they were in. Gwen is trying to prove she belongs there and Xander knows that both of them do. I loved their angst and chemistry and thought Soto did such an amazing job in creating their dynamic. They were so hot and can we take a moment for the cello scene? 🥵

My favorite thing about the book is how big of a part music played. Not only is it the basis of the setting and plot, but Soto literally wrote it into the spice scenes and weaved it throughout everything within the book. As a former (terrible) strings player, I adored how this made you feel the crescendos, arpeggios, climax, and tonic. It was so beautifully incorporated and I need more.

Julie Soto has firmly placed herself in my auto-read author list and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

4.5/5 Stars

Not Another Love Song follows Gwen through the ups and down of a beautiful duet and partnership she finds herself in.

Through the music and relationships, Not Another Love Song tells a beautiful story. I loved the growth that is seen through both Gwen and Xander.

Overall I loved the story (and the way that music was used to help tell the story too). I think Julie Soto’s writing and storytelling was phenomenal and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!