Okay, this book is incredible, I couldn’t put it down. It’s made up of some of my favorite things, including fantastic writing, music, complex characters, and some great tension and angst. Gwen and Xander work for the Manhattan Pops, and I thought their connections to it and how they both got started was so interesting. I really loved how Julie Soto unraveled Xander’s story. Gwen is an amazing character, I just adored her and felt for her and her past, and the manipulation that surrounded her.
The passion these two had for each other and their music made this so enjoyable, I loved everything about it. I only wish I had gotten more of a feel for how he went from resenting her talent to falling for her so fast and wanting to help her, especially after not noticing her for a year. This isn’t a critique, but just something I was curious about, because I couldn’t get enough of them. But I also know how music can affect you from my own experiences. I felt like it was well paced and flowed nicely. I also have to shoutout the side characters, they added so much entertainment!!

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for this eARC!

Suddenly I want to go to a symphony and see what’s up with the cellist.

I honestly was hesitant, how much would I understand about a book based on classical musicians? Turns out I didn’t need to know anything because I was immediately in Julie Soto’s beautiful world. I could feel the music through her writing which is not something one would think they could experience. And when I tell you with all sincerity I would do anything to learn to play the cello if Alex was my teach, I’m not exaggerating.

Gwen and Xander may both live in New York but they are two completely socioeconomic planets. The one thing they have in common though is music. Xander is an accomplished musician, teetering on rockstardom while Gwen is struggling to make rent. They both play in the same orchestra but he’s never paid attention to her, until an unfortunate run in at a wedding. After that, for better or worse he can’t seem to stop paying attention to her. Especially when she is promoted to first chair, a position he has waited his entire life to claim.

Your life honestly will be worse off if you don’t read this book, so just read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy of this arc.

Book Review 🎻 🎵-
Is it too late to learn to learn the violin at 34?! Asking for a friend .😆🤷🏽‍♀️ I loved this one!

What I loved 🥰:
-The characters. I loved Gwen and Xander because they were real. Xander was flawed at times and could be intense and abrupt. Gwen was working through her own insecurities.
-Their chemistry! After their first few interactions, I wasn’t sure if it’s they were going to be believable as a couple but once they started playing together.. 🔥 👌🏽!! It made me ask myself questions like “Am I attracted to music? Why is this so hot?”
-The plot! I loved it!

What I didn’t like:
-honestly, not much! It does take a little bit of time to get into the romance aspect of this but that time is used to develop the characters and story so it wasn’t a waste!

I honestly don’t have any complaints and enjoyed this one a lot! Make sure to add this one to your summer TBR.

Not Another Love Song by @juliesotowrites comes out July 16, 2024.

I loved this book. I loved following Gwen as she discovers herself. I loved watching Xander transform. I love the found family Gwen has built around herself and the showcasing of showing up and apologizing being meaningful. I could happily spend more time in this world and following these characters.

The premise of this book initially caught my eye. A grumpy x sunshine musical romance. While I learned a lot about music and orchestra that I previously had no clue about, this book was a challenge for me. I found it to be slow and drag on.

Julie Soto’s writing is so poetic and beautiful. The romance just floats off the page. I loved the growth of each character.

At its core, Not Another Love Song is a workplace romance between Gwen and Xander, two musicians in the same orchestra. Xander is viewed almost as classical music royalty, and Gwen is a lesser known musician whose talent was nurtured by a shop owner. The background information for Xander bothered me from the beginning as well as his connection to the "villains" of the story. When it was just the chemistry between Xander (Alex) and Gwen, then I really got into the story, but as soon as the outside drama and all the other people were involved, I was ready to be done with them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for making this ARC available to download for 24 hours. I absolutely loved this book. Julie is a great writer with even better ideas. I loved the setting (even though it wasn't Sacramento this time) and I appreciated how much she made the setting such a huge part of the story. The music nerd in me was delighted in the deep dive into the world of Classical and Popular music. It was so cool to read how much it takes to make it and I loved how Gwen and Alex/Xander have the unique talent, history and drive to be at the pinnacle of their careers. I loved that their passion for music makes them very believable rivals and it makes their romance that much more believable as well. The cello scene is perfect, their chemistry throughout the book is exactly what I would expect from Soto - steamy and romantic. As much as I love audiobooks, I would recommend that this book be read with the Bridgerton soundtrack or Pops in the background.

Gwen Jackson is making ends meet, working for the Manhattan Pops during the week, and playing the occasional wedding gig to help cover rent and takeout. When a chance encounter at a wedding catches the attention of Xander Thorne, famed cellist and rock star, and her colleague at the Pops, Gwen worries about being the focus of his criticism. But when she is asked to be first chair and concertmaster, a position Xander has been reaching for years, she can't seem to ignore him, or the building chemistry between them.

OK. I adored this book so much! Julie Soto's writing is so easy to fall into, I read this book straight through in one sitting. I just could not put it down. The chemistry between Gwen and Xander is impeccable. You can't help but kick your feet reading this. He falls hard and fast for her, and she has no clue. While this is mostly written from Gwen's POV, we also get a few chapters from Xander's perspective which lend some depth to the story as readers see some of the more vulnerable parts he keeps hidden from the world. I also loved reading about two artists who are just incredible at what they do, seeing the difference between someone who is good at something, versus a person who truly excels at it. Gwen and Xander have very different musical backgrounds and that influences how they approach their skills and what they see as work versus art, which becomes a challenge for the pair as they progress in their careers and relationships. There are some fun cameos from the crew from Forget Me Not, which I loved, and a nod to Green Day, my favorite band of all time, so that was a fun little part for me. Overall, I love this book, and Not Another Love Song has definitely cemented Julie Soto as one of my auto-read romance authors.

When I read the author's note that this was Reylo fanfic, I immediately thought I'm not going to like this. I WAS WRONG! I read this a week ago and haven't stopped thinking about this book! There was so much I loved. I really did like that the main female character, Gwen, had all the best parts of Rey from SW fandom that made her interesting (ie orphan, no family, poor, not an expert but self-taught) and it translated so well to a prodigy violinist. I didn't love Xander's character but I understand it was embodying Kylo-Ren and the author did a good job with that. I also like how the difference in money played a factor for the female main character, kept continuity. I however wanted more groveling for how shitty the MC/3rd act breakup happened. I loved the fact that they were seated opposite each other for many scenes, it made me feel like I was watching a film. Overall I really enjoyed the book.

If Julie writes it, I will read it and love it.

Not Another Love Song is no exception.

I loved being thrown into the musical world. I loved the political dynamics. I loved the different career paths Gwen and Xander could take. I loved learning why they were on their current paths and whether they would change.

The more I read the more I loved Gwen. Her layers are slowly pulled back and she just made sense to me by the end. I felt like I understood what she was thinking/saying/doing in a way that wasn’t obvious but also made sense. (Does that make sense? Do I make sense?!)

The spice was spicing 🔥 (did we expect anything else?).

This book was incredible! The writing, pacing, plot, and characters were all beautifully crafted. Xander and Gwen are soulmates, and their tension was captivating. I loved Xander's chapters and seeing how much he adored Gwen. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet.

I can’t wait to read Julie's other books and future work!

Also, the cover of this book is stunning.

Thank you forever, NetGalley and Julie, for the ARC! 🤍

Wow! Wow! WOW!!! This was such an original story!!! One of the best enemies to lover stories I’ve read. I devoured this masterpiece!

Loved it! Heard and felt their music/song. Beautiful novel. Enjoyed last years book. Can’t wait for the authors next.

This is my first book I’ve read by Julie Soto but I really enjoyed it! I really liked the characters and their love story. Good amount of smut for any fan!

I would definitely read more by this author!

This was my first Julie Soto book and wow, where have I been? Gwen and Alex (Xander) were great together. They kept me entertained all throughout the book. They had chemistry right from the beginning and couldn’t deny their feelings for long. The classical musical aspect was something new for me and I enjoyed that part as well.

This book was spicier than I expected and it was good spice too. As mentioned, the chemistry between them was sizzling and made for some great, memorable scenes. Now I need to go back and read Forget Me Not.

Thanks to Julie Soto and @readforeverpub for the eARC of this book.

Although this can be read as a standalone, we do have cameo appearances of some of the characters from Forget Me Not. Therefore, if you think you would like to read that book, I recommend reading it first.
🎻
This one was a lot of fun.

I thought this one was a lot spicier than the first one. Or maybe it had more sexual tension for the first half.

I’ve read other books that are categorized as Reylo fanfics, but this was the first one that I could actually imagine Kylo’s mannerism (and even temper). And even choosing to leave behind your name and past and try to pave a new path.

There were some heartbreaking moments and some family drama.

Some themes within the book:
Wanting to pave your own path.
Wanting to be the best in your field.
Trying to find the joy in what you do.
Getting out of your own head.
Getting out of the shadow of your parents.

This was fantastic. Fun banter, emotionally charged, and utterly romantic. I flew through this book in one sitting and loved every second of it. I desperately wish this was a real story so that I could actually listen to their music, because the writing makes it sound absolutely beautiful. This was a perfect romance novel and I really have no notes.

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

Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review 💙

Y’all. Perfect, perfect, perfect. My very first arc as a bookstagrammer was Julie Soto’s debut, Forget Me Not, which I was absolutely obsessed with and solidified Julie as an auto-buy author! So expectations were high for this one to say the least, and I can say with certainty that she surpassed them all!

I won’t waste your time with a complete overview of the plot: but picture rival musicians with interest in the same prestigious job 👀 go in kind of blind, it’s more fun!

The tension between Gwen and Xander had me blushing, giggling, kicking my feet, and obsessing over these two anytime I couldn’t just sit down and continue reading their story! Their chemistry absolutely jumped off the page, and was woven expertly into the overall plot of the story.

Julie Soto is also a master at writing conflict. As an avid romance reader I’ve had excellent stories lose me towards the end of the book due to a poorly handled third act conflict. Too often it seems thrown in to check a box, and someone is obviously right and the other obviously wrong that the conflict almost seems silly. Not here, conflict felt real, human, and messy. I wasn’t rooting for any one person, I could see that they were trying to do the best with what they had, what they’ve known, and what outside influences were pushed on them. The conflict ADDED to the story instead of distracting from it, and kept me turning pages all the way to the end!

Obviously all 5 stars from me. This masterpiece is out now so do yourself a favor and pick it up, if for only this reason: cello scene. You’re welcome.

(P.S. I also picked up on the Taylor Swift references that somehow did not feel pop culturey at all, looooooved!)

(P.P.S. Read Forget Me Not first for the fun Easter eggs that again, had my giggling like a darn fool 🥰)

(P.P.P.S. Multiple Henley spottings for my friends keeping score at home!)

oh my GOD Julie Soto is a new favorite. I enjoyed Forget Me Not, but Not Another Love Song absolutely cements her in my book as an auto buy. Gwen and Xander perform together in the Manhattan Pops symphony; Gwen on violin and Xander on cello. Xander is a musical prodigy and celebrity, while Gwen has more of a scrappy history with the art. When Gwen is hired to perform at Xander's friend's wedding, she is embarrassed to realize that Xander doesn't recognize her. A mishap has her playing cello instead, and Xander is fascinated by her spontaneity. Later, Gwen is offered first chair at the pops when the current first chair steps down and Xander is furious, but his reasons are complicated. The tension and chemistry is off the charts.

Things I liked: the CHEMISTRY and spice was so good. The cello scene can NOT be oversold. I loved the way the two of them challenged and brought out the best in each other. I loved the supporting characters. I loved the musical backdrop. I loved the cameos from Forget Me Not.

I would give this book a HUGE recommendation to any romance fan, but especially any fan of Ali Hazelwood; I found their writing styles to be very similar.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.