This is a beautiful romance. It's filled with believable and relatable characters. Finding your place in this world is difficult, especially young talented musicians. Julie Soro reminds us that love wins.

I’m always drawn to books that are about music in some way, and this is what first captured my attention in Not Another Love Song. Set within the world of pop-oriented orchestras, Gwen and Xander play violin and cello, respectively, in the Manhattan Pops. They don’t get along well, largely due to Xander’s oversized ego, and it’s only exasperated by their competing desires to earn first violin and by their complicated relationships with the musicians and mentors around them. Yet, despite their bad first impressions of each other, Gwen and Xander can’t deny their intense connection, both in making music together and in their mutual attraction. With all their baggage, can they move beyond rival musicians to become something more?

First and foremost, I really enjoyed getting an inside look at professional musicians who play within an orchestra. Instead of rock songs and guitars, Gwen and Xander play violin and cello along with dozens of other musicians. Beyond playing classic compositions by the likes of Bach and Mozart, they also perform orchestral versions of modern popular songs. My personal favorite mention here was “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day (my favorite band!). With both characters, we get to see how they play their instruments from a technical and emotional standpoint. Xander is also a composer himself, with Gwen his unintended muse and, eventually, partner. I loved getting into all the musical aspects of their characters and their relationship.

Another major dynamic is the mentors around them. Gwen was taught violin by a woman named Mabel; though she’s a mother-like figure for Gwen, she’s also pretty tough. Gwen is also inspired by the current first violinist in the Manhattan Pops… who happens to be Xander’s mom (secretly). Further complicating it all, Mabel knows her and Xander quite well. All of this is compounded by uncertain career trajectories, wavering between Juilliard and the Manhattan Pops and a more pop star career (think Lindsey Stirling). What path will Gwen ultimately choose? What about Xander?

This is an enemies-to-lovers romance that swiftly turns into an unexpected music partnership. I didn’t know going into Not Another Love Song that this book originated as a Reylo fanfic. While I haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies and am not involved in that fandom, I have read another Reylo-inspired novel, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, and picked up on a similar narrative arc here. It wasn’t until near the end of my reading that I also discovered this book features characters from Julie Soto’s previous novel, Forget Me Not; it works as a standalone, but those who’ve read that novel may enjoy seeing where those characters are at here.

Not Another Love Song is an immersive read for anyone who enjoys music, drama, and an enemies-to-lovers romance. I enjoyed these characters and the way the story unfolded, and I look forward to reading more from Julie Soto—probably starting with Forget Me Not!

Julie, I love you. Thank you for serving us this masterpiece! I loved everything about this book. It’s a rivals-to-lovers story that goes from “why must it be you?” to the cello scene. Yes, there is a scene where he plays her like he does his strings, and it is absolutely majestic.

Xander was born into a musical family and now wants to create original songs, while Gwen has a natural ear for music but lacks years of experience with music teachers like Xander. All he wants to do is convince her that she can do more than play first chair, but for Gwen, that's all she thinks she can achieve for now, fearing it will be a missed opportunity otherwise.

It’s Gwen thinking that Xander believed her to have no talent that did it for me, because, boy, was she wrong! The writing in this book was as lyrical as the music played by its characters. If you know, you know. This book was filled to the brim with tension and angst that I didn’t know I needed until I had it, with quick turns in the plot that kept the climax thick throughout. I’m simply too in love with this book and these characters!

This is how you write a romance. Julie Soto does not miss. The tension? The cello scene? This whole book? PLEASE🥵 This book tragically fell victim to my terrible reading slump earlier this year but once I came back to this one after clearing the slump, man did this hit great.
This is basically a master class in romance writing and is further proving Julie Soto as a romance author to keep up with. The characters were well developed and enjoyable, the tension was *chefs kiss*, the conflict was practical but dynamic with a satisfying conclusion, and overall this is just a fantastic read.

This book has my whole heart! It was so incredibly written, great plot, great characters, great spice to plot ratio, and Alex’s character was everything! I loved the way he was immediately head over heels for Gwen, and was willing to do anything and everything for her. The iced vanilla lattes every morning was such a thoughtful gesture.

I definitely think Soto is turning into a need to read author for me! This is her second book and while it's linked to the first, it's not focused on Ama and Elliot. I did enjoy seeing them again in this book though.

I liked the story here a lot. There was some interesting storytelling in terms of how musicians work etc. I have never played an instrument but I liked how Soto described the music. The relationship between Xander and Gwen... the yearning was spot on for me.

There were parts I didn't love, the obvious set up of Declan, the 3rd act break up, the resolution of it all felt a little too tidy, etc. But it was enjoyable. I wanted to keep reading instead of sleeping. I'd recommend it to romance readers!

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley and Forever (Grand Publishing)!

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Honestly my only ONLY complaint is that I wish there was more groveling towards the end (who doesn’t love groveling?!), but it didn’t bother me enough to drop my rating. But my GODDDD I loved this book so so much 🥹🥹🥹 it was perfection and I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. The tension and chemistry between Alex and Gwen was EVERYTHINGGG, Alex had my heart racing for real 🤣. Music is such a powerful and beautiful thing and I’m just in awe of how deeply both characters felt emotion through their music. I don’t play any instruments now but music is so important to me on a molecular level (like just inject it into my veins pls thank you) & I felt like I could connect to the MC’s in that regard.

The spice was GIVING let me tell you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 it was so tender and intimate and it just felt so raw. Also, there is a cello scene. That’s all you need to know 😉

In addition, I’m beyond obsessed with the cover!!!!

This was my first Julie Soto book & now I just want to read all her work (fanfics included) 🤣 a fellow fanfic girly & swiftie?! Sign me up.

Thank you THANK YOU to Forever Publishing & Netgalley for this ARC!!! It has a special place in my heart 🫶🏼

Gwen is a self-taught violinist that is currently playing for a New York Orchestra. She is fourth-chair in her young twenties and has always been interested in getting solos for the Orchestral performances. Xander is a famous cellist. Xander Thorne is the front-runner of a band, Thorne and The Roses, where he plays the electric cello, he's also currently the lead of the cello's of the same New York Orchestra Gwen performs for. After a bit of a rough interaction at a wedding Gwen performs at, Gwen believes that Xander thinks she's a horrible musician. They proceed to butt heads a bit before the tension overflows and they finally get together. Not everyone in the music world have their best interests at heart though and Xander and Gwen each have some major blockers to their futures.

Gwen was such a great character to spend most of my time with. She was hilarious and had such a smart head on her shoulders. Gwen came off a little naive in a handful of situations but it seemed super reasonable. She's young and wants to reach her goal of performing solos for crowds. Xander is a bit more of an enigma and definitely has more reasons to need some good therapy. I loved his short POVs (the Cello Suites!!!) and his general assistance to Gwen in realizing her skills and what she could do in her future.

I really loved this story and I'm intrigued for Soto's future contemporary works!

I absolutely devoured Julie's previous book Forget Me Not. I knew that this story would be another amazing read. I also knew Not Another Love Song from Julie before it was published book. What she did to transition the story into a published work was incredible. She elevated it and add more layers to the story, but also kept the wonderful moments that I remember from the original work. Julie was also able to seamless weave in characters from Forget Me Not too. I love the music element of Not Another Love Song, it is refreshing to have a romantic story set in classical music setting instead of another rock band, it gives such a different feel to the story. Both main characters (Gwen & Alexander) are young and have lived through a lot of emotional upheavels in their lives, which shapes their perspectives of who they are supposed to be. But that all changes when they become a part of each other's orbit. One main character fights for the other one to see their worth and to not to be complacent where they are in life. The antagonist of this story is despicable to both main characters and truly gets under your skin as a reader. The story has many rich and dynamic characters who are memorable and unique--- many of them bring both humor and heart. I also love the addition of the Cello Suite Chapters to get the introspective thoughts of Alexander, which was just as important as reading Gwen's thoughts. Iykyk the cello scene, it is a special part of this book and as a reader you live through all those musical notes and you are just changed by that scene (and a few of the other scenes). Julie has created a wonderful book about music and love, and I can't wait for other's to experience her work! Definitely check out both of her published works.

you know a book is good when I can not put it down and let me tell you, julie soto did exactly that with this one! this romance has so many fun elements to it that I know the book girlies are going to love: a slight enemies to lovers, so much angst, a heavy dose of spice, and drama galore. the whole premise of this book was so interesting with gwen and alex both being musicians in the same orchestra and contained so many musical elements which I absolutely loved. the writing style was incredible and I was so swept up in the story that I genuinely stayed up until 2am reading (RIP my sleep schedule). their relationship was so much fun to watch as it developed and once they do get together there is something so special about how they just click and get each other. and even when they aren't, the tension and banter and hidden glances are just so good. and the way the title infuses itself into the story....IYKYK but it was soo good! this was such a fun read that had me enthralled throughout and that I definitely recommend for any romance reader!

5/5★ NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG - JULIE SOTO ❤️‍🩹🎻💫
you guys... this was SUCH a great read! i really love how this book did such an amazing job of having so much banter, just to figure out it's because the mmc is SO OBSESSED with her like... YOU HAVE MY HEART! it's such a great trope and it's just one of those books where you are yelling over every little thing that happens in their relationship and i enjoyed every moment of it, so much tension, banter, infatuation, and love! this may be a hot take, but i also adore how they display just how sacrificial love really is and yes, i was sobbing, but i love a great happy ending and personally, this one was so heartwarming! overall, i love the characters in this book, they have made a special place in my heart and this was great read to pick up if you are craving an infatuated mmc and love all of the good kicking-your-feet-in-the-air vibes <3
thank you netgalley and julie soto for this arc!

4.5 stars rounded up. I was a huge fan of Forget Me Not, and dare I say, I might be an even bigger fan of Not Another Love Song. Romance readers need to take notice of Julie Soto, because I think with each book that she publishes, she's just going to get more and more popular. If I had to compare Soto's story telling to another writer, it would be Ali Hazelwood. I feel like they have a similar style, but instead of Not Another Love Story featuring a steminist heroine, it features an incredibly talented musician, who may finally be getting the big break she's been waiting for. In some ways, Not Another Love Song felt a little bit like an ode to music, and I wouldn't be surprised if Soto was a musician herself. Music is almost like a third character in this book, given the prominent role that it played. I could almost hear it, and Soto used music in her scenes so masterfully to create tension and passion between the main characters. Speaking of Gwen and Xander, I feel like they both had a lot of "aha" moments and both had a bit of growing up to do. But I appreciated that they made mistakes, because that type of fallibility often makes a story feel a bit realer. Gwen and Xander were complete opposites, but in some ways, that's largely why they worked so well together. It's almost like they completed one another, and nothing typified that more than when they played music together. This is definitely a steamy romance (which is my preference)- there are several open door scenes. All in all, I really enjoyed Not Another Love Song. So much so that I read it in one day. And even though I was gifted the eARC, I purchased a copy for myself.

Thank you so much to Soto, Forever, and netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This is another winner from Soto that I absolutely recommend.

E-ARC generously provided by Forever in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

4.5 stars. Steamy, compulsively readable, and having the "lived-in" quality I always appreciate in romance, Not Another Love Song is a resounding symphony of a book that's as swoony as it is worthy of a standing ovation.

Another great romance from Julie Soto.

Passionate, fierce, and full of heart. I was HOOKED right from the beginning. Although it is a bit hard to step into 3rd person when I'm used to 1st so often. But once I adjusted, I was enjoying the heck out of this.

I loved the chemistry, the angst, and all the drama.

I think the "villain" of the piece was a bit too easy and I'm not a huge fan of that kind of characterization. But it's okay now and then as long as other characters hold my attention.

All in all, I can't wait to read more from Julie Soto.

I was so excited to get to this book and I immediately ran to the opportunity to request this. Thank you guys for the opportunity to get to read this book I truly appreciate it. I really wished I was able to connect to the characters like I did in "Forget Me Not" but unfortunately I did not. I didn't feel like there was any chemistry at all, there was no tension. This story feels more like it was told to me instead of me actually feeling it. The concept of this romance book was great but I don't feel like it was executed well for my liking.

Absolutely loved this book!! Such a good story! I couldn’t stop reading! I love how Julie Soto just keeps you reading and invested in her books! I would definitely recommend reading this book!!!

This was an overall really enjoyable read. The highlights would definitely be the musical appreciation and holy heck the tension. There is a pretty significant buildup of the tension before the romance truly takes off, and it I think that really makes the relationship.

Alex does feel a bit like his personality is "fixed" a bit quickly. They aren't at odds very long before they're romantically involved, and I would like to have seen that drug out a tad more. Seeing Gwen find herself through her story and her music really made the entire book for me. She just becomes something else.

I did seem to have some pacing issues. The beginning was engaging, the middle drug quite a bit, and by the end you pretty much knew what was going to happen. It was never boring, just a bit off.

Would definitely recommend if you liked Forget Me Not.

This was my first Julie Soto book and I love the writing style. I requested this one solely because of the cover but Gwen and Alex's story did not disappoint. I don't read many books in one sitting but this one... this one sucked me in and didn't let me go until I had finished. The tension and banter was on POINT. I can't wait to read more of Julie's books.

my god, Julie. You do swoon worthy main male characters. I thought it would be hard to beat book 1, I was wrong. No notes. My only wish is you give us something on Ao3 leading up to this release as you did with the last one! :)

3.75. Not Another Love song is a romance packed with real issues, musical references, and spice.

Gwen and Xander are both musical prodigies with interwoven lives. They have a connection through the Pops Orchestra and arrogant Xander has some words about Gwen’s abilities. When Gwen is offered first chair in the Pops, the two begin to work more together and find romance. The last 40% of this book had me hooked, I was so invested and couldn’t put it down. But I wish that pacing had been consistent throughout the whole story. I thought maybe since I have zero interest in music or instruments it probably had a negative effect on my experience since that’s what the entire first half of the book is about, but I also don’t care for weddings and never felt that way in Forget Me Not! I’ll go ahead and say I think it’s just a personal preference. I truly did not care about the actual music and instruments but found the story behind orchestra politics quite interesting. I also did not feel any flow from Xander being rude to suddenly spicy scenes. I had to go back and see what I had missed. Once they started to care for one another, I did enjoy them as a couple though!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Julie Soto, and Forever for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This will publish on July 16th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, my Facebook book club, and will make a TikTok to post before the pub date!