I cannot adequately put into words how much I loved this, this was my first book by Julie and wow. The steamy scenes absolutely delivered. The tension between the two characters just set it up for some of the best spice I've ever read. The way Xander plays Gwen's body... hellooo. And that cello scene holy guacamole. I really loved Gwen a lot and was so proud of her character growth. I will say it is a bit of fast forming relationship between the two characters, but it worked so well all at the same time. I can't explain it, haha.

I loved this one so much, the romance, the tension, the steamy scenes, the music aspect. It was all perfect.

I know absolutely nothing about music outside of listening to it on my phone when I’m in the car or grocery shopping. So how does someone who cannot read notes/sheet music, and has never picked up a musical instrument in her life become so captivated by a book that describes all of these things so vividly and beautifully? Easy peasy- throw in some great characters with amazing chemistry and tension and I’m hooked! I also loved the cameos, it was so fun to see what Ama and Elliot appear. Happy Pub day to Not Another Love Song! I’m off to snag myself a physical copy today because I need to have it! Julie Soto is now an auto-buy author for me! I cannot wait to see who headlines her next book! Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I want to start off by saying I read this book in less than 24 hours. It was addicting and I was simply obsessed with finding out what would happen between Xander and Gwen. I love stories with musicians, especially when it comes to orchestra or choir or anything of that nature, so this book really hit home for me with our FMC and MMC being a violinist and a cellist.

Julie Soto has a way of writing a story and developing characters that you fall in love with and care about. I felt that way about Forget Me Not and I absolutely felt that way with Xander and Gwen in Not A Long Song.

Not only did Julie develop her characters in such a way that you fall in love with them, but there was also so many other areas of the story line where you felt like these characters were destined to always meet and fall in love. From Xander and Gwen having the same violin teacher over the years, to Xander’s Mom hearing Gwen play on the subway. Just so many little instances that Julie wove throughout the story to make it seem (to me, at least) that Xander and Gwen were always supposed to be end game.

I know that for the sake of the story, some of the things that happened in this book are farfetched. Like Gwen getting first chair in the violin section at such a young age with the very little experience she has. Sure, she has many years of training, but I don’t think any big orchestra would put her in that position at such a young age with not as much experience as maybe some other members, especially just to save the Orchestra since it was in dire need of funding. But, of course, for the sake of the story, something extreme like this must happen. I also felt the ending was just a bit rushed, and that some of the issues between Xander and his stepdad were just glossed over, especially by Xander’s mom.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and ate it up. It’s worthy of, at the least, 4 stars.

Hearing her play the cello part filled in all the gaps inside himself he’d been missing. “It’s simple really,” he said. “It’s about a cello who fell in love with a violin”🎻

essentially this is a story about two music prodigies in their own right (a cellist and a violinist) with a bit of a rivals to lovers arc as both characters are at odds upon properly meeting when Gwen is given a position at the orchestra that Alex feels entitled to. That is, until the music they’re composing sets the tone for their feelings to flourish into more.

I liked how this truly did feel like a love letter to music interwoven with the romance as the characters would delve into the confines of it strumming through their very essence with every intonation, movement, and all the musical terms used which heightened their connection each time they'd play. i actively felt the passion the characters did and thought it was quite beautiful.

The romance and intimacy felt pleasing enough as everything flowed naturally. Gwen and Alex had some issues they’d slowly work through which felt relatable enough (she’s too in her head, he’s a perfectionist) and came to realizations along the way that allowed them to question their choices. the tension + chemistry was incredibly palpable. I was unexpectedly blushing a lot! lol chapter 10 had a lasting impression on me and the spice was spicing 🪭 who knew composing could be simultaneously hot and mesmerizing. the cover choice was such a genius move with the cello scene 🤭

*this is a Reylo fanfic, told in third person, and is dual pov with 6 (almost like confessional intermissions) from Alex.* I should add how it was so blatantly clear the admiration he had for Gwen early on before it materialized given his arrogance and difficulty expressing himself. He truly fell fast and harder where it was a bit push and pull initially on her end and I can't fault her. There was a third act which felt impending with the characters present circumstances and surprisingly I wasn’t so mad at it and was glad for the resolution

Overall, i throughly enjoyed this story and its characters, possibly much more than this authors debut novel, so 4.5 stars it is. the depth to the storytelling here had me invested and I liked the intricacies of it. I ultimately appreciated seeing both characters understand their worth by the end and how in sync it left them--as it goes to show how conceding to external expectations and any form of validation when it comes to what we're most passionate about offers no long-term satisfaction. I’d like to think the next book will be about dom and the photographer

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

some quotes I liked:

“Look, I don’t know what you want from me, but—” “Anything.” Black eyes looked down on her, and he took a shaking breath. “Everything.”

"But, Gwen, please make music with me. I need you in my life. I need to be in your orbit in some way, and if you don't want me to ———, then let me make love to you onstage every night because it's the most alive I've felt in ten years"

“He thought back to last year, the melody that wouldn't leave him alone every time they ran into each other. The need to write it down immediately after playing with her for the first time as cherry blossoms fell over their skin.”

“A harmony in easy tempos, matching phrases and answering each other's questions. Just before they dropped into the storm, the agitation, she looked up at him for the first time. His eyes were on her fingers. His lips parted. And a flush stained his skin, spreading. She took a breath before the next section fell over them. He met her eyes. And they spun."

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is a romance between two musical prodigies, Manhattan Pops violinist Gwen Jackson and cellist Alex Fitzgerald, more popularly known as rockstar Xander Thorne of the band, Thorne and Roses. Theirs is a story of found family, power dynamics, and music as their food of love.

If you’ve been wondering what that high pitched screech in the background that you’ve been hearing over the last few weeks is, it’s probably me screaming about how much I love this book, how feral this book makes me feel, how much joy this book has brought me. I am so specifically an avid romance reader, and amongst the hundreds (and hundreds) of books that I’ve read over just the last few years, I would say that, in this moment, Not Another Love Song is my all time favorite romance book.

Alex is everything. I love him. He falls so goddamn fast and so goddamn hard. He is so soft for my girl, Gwen. The way he just sees her despite her actively trying to fade into the background. My man has it bad. He sees her for everything that she is and everything that she could be, and I absolutely adored reading his helping Gwen find her inner confidence and ability to let go and truly connect with her music.

Furthermore, reading the relationships both Gwen and Ava have to their mothers and mother figures feels like a love letter to the complex feelings that come with proving oneself to both maternal figures and to oneself. These relationships are oftentimes not easy nor straightforward, and the complicated emotions displayed between Alex and Ava and Gwen and Mabel feel so human, so true to this specific type of connection in that sometimes it takes work and communication to realize that even mothers are fallible but also redeemable.

In addition to Gwen’s Mabel, I love the found family that Gwen creates for herself. Her friendship with Jacob (and the later developing one with Declan) as a pillar in her life for endless support and love— I love them together nearly as much as I love Alex and Gwen. And Mei! Between her and Jacob, they brought so much laughter and joy for not Gwen, but for me as the reader as I found myself genuinely laughing aloud from their antics. I was also throwing up (affectionately) with every cameo involving Ama, Elliot, Hazel Renee, Jackie, and Mar and how they, alongside the Roses of Thorne & Roses, are expanding Gwen’s chosen people in her corner.

After just one book, Julie Soto landed herself on my list of auto-buy favorite authors, and Not Another Love Song has only reinforced my love for her and her writing. I can most assuredly say that I will absolutely be reading anything and everything that Julie writes and shares with the world. Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the ARC!

I thought Forget Me Not was my favorite, but Not Another love story takes the cake. I love a good Grumpy-sunshine trope, but the chemistry between Alex and Qwen is what really sucked me in. Don't even get me started on the cello scene and all those heart melting moments between these two. Julie is one of my favorite authors because of her ability to create these stories and characters that warm your heart and give others hope of finding their own real life love story. Also brownie points on having those fun discussion questions at the end!

4.5⭐️

This was brilliant, delightful and well written. This is a love story that everyone should read. The author held my attention from start to finish.

It is full of angst, tension, passion, dedication and love. I enjoyed the seamless journey from their ‘first’ meeting to the ‘epilogue’.

The characters were amazing and delivered what was expected of them. I loved how the author portrayed Alex’s point of view.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the musical scenes and you will certainly fall in love with classical music. I really wanted to listen to the compositions.
I will never see a Cello in the same light again (if you know you know)

If you love NYC based books, classical music, workplace romance and rivals to lovers then you will enjoy this.

I received an advanced copy and the review is mine and voluntary.

"Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto is an engaging read featuring a grumpy-sunshine romance between violinist Gwen Jackson and rock star cellist Xander Thorne. Their chemistry sizzles amid sharp banter and deep emotion. Xander's attitude contrasts with Gwen's quiet passion, making their interactions electric. When Gwen is offered the first chair in the orchestra, their hostility intensifies, but so does their undeniable attraction. Forced to collaborate, their connection grows, leading to captivating performances. The story's slow burn and perfect pacing make it a delightful read for fans of romance and music. I highly recommend it for its engaging plot and dynamic characters.

Julie Soto DELIVERED again and I ate it up! The chemistry between Gwen and Xander had me hooked immediately, before they were lovers or even friends. Julie has absolutely perfected the simp MMC and I will follow her to the ends of the earth.

I love a rivals to lovers trope, so add the musical element (as a former pianist) and it's beyond anything I could imagine. The tension and passion, found family, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first (and he falls HARD), and the spice!!! I swoon.

Let’s talk about the passion – and I don’t just mean for each other. The way Gwen and Xander are passionate, fixated, borderline obsessed with their music is clear from the beginning. They live, breathe, and feel their music. So when that passion is then turned on each other…PHEW something us mere mortals could only dream of experiencing. Sign me up for cello lessons with Xander/Alex!

I noticed themes of music were present outside the plot points, too, and echoed in Julie’s writing itself. The delicate and robust nature of music (practice, performance and creation) was artfully and skillfully woven into the writing. Perhaps getting a bit too meta, but this parallel had me feeling not only like I was reading a story, but experiencing a symphony in its own way.

This was truly such a gift to read and probably my favorite book of the year so far. I was giggling, screaming, biting my fist, smiling and maybe even blushing during some scenes.

Big thanks to Forever Publishing and Julie for the ARC. It was such a treat and I cannot wait to reread and listen to the audiobook when it’s officially released!

Huge 5 stars from me! Julie Soto is an auto buy author for me. This is her second book and she just knows how to write a freaking amazing romance book with all the tension, all the hate, and all the love. You've got two musical prodigies who despise each other but who make beautiful music together. And then he falls hard!! This book was everything I wanted in a rom com. Nerdy musicians. He's got the bad boy image going on. It's a perfect match. I need more Julie Soto books!!

I didn’t think it was possible for Julie to top Forget Me Not, but I completely devoured Not another love song! As a former orchestra member myself, Gwen’s story was so relatable and the chemistry was scorching off the pages. Gwen and her love interest start off as enemies who are both incredibly gifted musicians who find that making their own music leads to music being made on and off the stage. Both main characters encounter their own professional and personal struggles, but you will be rooting for them all along the way. Immediately reprioritize your TBR, and pick this novel to be your next read. You will not regret it!

This was... this was magic. I binged it so quickly, and I didn't want to put it down. I should have been working on my class project, but... I've never been good at putting first things first, lol.

Gwen Jackson is a self-taught violinist. And she's really, really good. She works for the Manhattan Pops and does some gigs on the side. When a mix-up puts Gwen in the wrong instrument on a gig, it also puts her in the path of world famous Xander Thorne. Who's also in the Pops. And who never noticed her until this wedding. And they'd been playing together. For a year.

Gwen doesn't believe she's in the same sphere as him. Even though she knows everything he brings to the table (besides his amazing playing). But there's some misconceptions about how she really is.

Gwen's circle is very small (and as someone who's in the same boat, it really really hit home to me), and she's wary about making big changes. It is soooo understandable because if something fails, who's there to make sure you can bounce back?

Xander has his own legacy to live up to. And he has some major complexities that's been keeping a tight reign over him.

But the music they make together? It's pure magic. And with the new proximity, it brings an attraction that's electric! I kid you not. I won't give the percentage away, but when it hit, it HIT HARD.

I loved being in this music world. I knew nothing about it, so it was so neat to delve into it. The side characters were all really great. Gwen has some amazing people behind her.

I hope you give this one a try. I was entertained with the growing relationship between the two of them.

I read because I want to feel something. Sometimes it’s laughter, sometimes I need a good cry, sometimes it’s tension or angst or yearning. And most of the time it’s love. I am in awe of Not Another Love Song because of how it made me feel. Amazingly I think I felt all of those emotions while reading about Gwen and Alex. The final line of the book sums up the story entirely, and without spoiling anything (by all means, flip to the end yourself, but don’t blame me!) it’s a story about falling in love.

This is such an original setting and cast—expert classically trained musicians who perform at the highest levels of orchestral music, and yet I think everyone can relate to Not Another Love Song because everyone can relate to music—especially music that makes you FEEL. So while I was amazed at the amount of research Julie Soto had to do to make something so technical (writing about music!) sound so effortless, I simultaneously felt the range of emotions that the right combination of notes when played in a specific order can have on your heart and soul. This book moved me. It made me gasp, it made me cry, it made my heart soar and swoon, and it made me hot under the collar—the way Soto can write a “look” through eye contact alone…. So if you want to feel something, just pick this one up. I know it will stay with me for a very long time.

And now for my favorite bits:
🎼 Mei—I laughed at all of her scenes
🎻 the sight reading scene that surprises Gwen—tension that pays off!
🎼 The moment Alex says those three little words
🎻 All the times I Googled/YouTubed pieces so I could hear what was being written
🎼 The way Gwen and Alex play together as a form of communication. It’s breathtaking to read.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(+++)
Steam: 🪭🪭🪭
Number of times some form of “F&ck” is used (and Soto doesn’t use it unless it FITS): 4️⃣6️⃣
I received an early copy from Forever. All opinions are my own.

Do you ever read a book that touches you in ways you didn’t expect? For me that’s this book. This book is about two musicians yes and at first you think I’ve heard the story before but what I love about this book is it takes a love story about two talented musicians, and it gives you a book with a lot of heart and feeling, the desire for connection between both characters is visceral. You have funny moments, you have moments that make you swoon you have moments that make you teary-eyed and you have moments that have you jumping for joy. Some of these moments in this book between Xander and Gwen will truly leave you breathless. It is one of my favorite books of the year and I want everyone to read it. I hope it touches everybody’s heart like it did mine. I hope you fan yourself at the sexy bits . I hope you develop an addiction to vanilla lattes but mostly my wishes for every reader to see how much heart this book has. In my opinion, it takes a story of the arrogant male musician and challenges it. It does the same thing for the standoffish girl not another love song is a book That touched my heart. I hope it does for future readers to come..

You'll feel their music in every single cell of your body 🎻💗

If you want the perfect definition of a rivals to lovers, with immaculate tension, and where he falls first, this book is definitely for you!
I was kicking my feet and smiling so hard at my Kindle because of how good it was.

I also have never felt this immersed in a book before! I am no musician whatsoever, but while reading Not Another Love Song I was literally feeling the music created by the main characters. It was such an insane feeling because, while I have absolutely no clue what the melody could sound like, I innately know how it feels. It's hard to describe, and I guess you have to read it to understand, but this story truly moves you.

Oh and yes, the cello scene really deserves all the hype 🙂‍↕️

I devoured it!
5 ⭐️
Can't recommend it enough!

Thank you Julie and NetGalley for the ARC!

Gwen and Xander were a grumpy/sunshine masterpiece. I genuinely enjoyed the orchestra setting despite having no musical ability. Gwen irritated me a little with her hero worship of Ava despite Xander's intentional distance from her. But other than that, standing ovation.

Not Another Love Song was a roller coaster ride for me - quite a few ups and downs. I really enjoyed how the focus on music and composition tied into the writing from start to finish. I loved the premise of this story, and the way the dual POV was presented worked for me. Despite Xander having far less POV by word count, I felt like his character was better developed. Gwen altogether was a tricky female main character for me. The things that happened and doors that opened for her were so unrealistic, it was hard to find any progression in her as a character. It was one thing after another, and as a result, I struggled to connect with her character. But overall, it was a solid read and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

4.25 stars

Oooo, this is talent crush / competency kink at its <i>finest</i> and I'm here for every second of it!

I liked this book so much more than the first one. The characters are more dynamic, more interesting. Their struggles are easier to understand and relate to. And the musical plot is compelling. I love twists on classical music or edgy original compositions. I want to hear all the songs they played. I'd probably be Thorne and Roses biggest fan!

Alexander and Gwen are both musical prodigies. What might seem like insta-love (which I hate) is actually a love an appreciation of talent. That's what they bond over initially. It's easy to believe that two young, wildly talented individuals would blur the line and start a romantic relationship. And those steamy bits were wonderfully done!

The only reasons this didn't get 5 stars is a) the 'villains' were BEYOND obvious and b) the note at the beginning explaining its fanfiction origins ruined some of the early twists. I would've preferred to be surprised.

Still, I highly recommend it! I mean, how can you not want to read it with a cover like that?!

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, Forever, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

To say I’m infatuated with this story is an understatement. The characters are incredibly developed and realistic, Gwen and Xander are real people with flaws and problems and it was refreshing to read about. I loved the way Julie described how they felt their music, it was like their love story was written within those emotions during their songs.

The tension was palpable! You really earn the spice scenes here and as hot as they were they also showed how much the characters admired one another.

Not to be a drama queen but I’d jump overboard for this story. Five gazillion stars ⭐️

Wow! I was absolutely blown away by Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto. Sometimes there is a book that you have a feeling is going to be good, but when you read it, it is at a totally different level and that is exactly what this book was. This was a rivals to lovers story like I've never seen one told before. It's so, so good!

Gwen Jackson is a violin prodigy who plays for the Manhattan Pops. She is a good member of the group, but she isn't someone who has ever really stuck out. When she earns the first chair unexpectedly, she is stunned, along with everyone else.

Xavier Thorne is also a member of the Manhattan Pops, however he is also a headliner for a pop-strings group that tours the world. He's never on time to anything, barely rehearses and still manages to be amazing due to his musical prowess. He knows how good he is and he's got the ego to show for it.

With Gwen earning first chair, it's clear she and Xavier are going to butt heads, however there is also a mutual fascination between the two as well. They are drawn to one another for various reasons and it is fascinating to watch them interact.

This story is so well written and I was so captivated by the way it was told. It was a fresh new way for a romance to be written utilizing music and I was drawn in from the outset. It's absolutely one I would recommend!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**