I loved Gwen and Alex! I knew when I was about 15% in I would really like this one. Two people fall in love from something they love. Gwen was a musical child prodigy playing the violin and Alex a child prodigy playing the cello. They meet at a wedding reception and the rest is history.

I loved seeing their progression to love and how we are given their backstory to getting to where they end up at a HEA. Gwen’s life story was a much harder path to becoming the first chair violinist at the pops orchestra. Alex was a generational musician where his mother and father played in the orchestra so his life story seemed easy, but nothing is easy following in the footsteps of his musical parents. You can tell that Julie Soto knows music with her musical references throughout the book! I loved that too. I’ll also add, this one was in the middle on the spice meter and was done well!

I highly recommend giving picking this one up today and fall in love with Gwen and Alex’s story! I now need to read Julie Soto’s previous book 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑀𝑒 𝑁𝑜𝑡!

4.5 rounded up!

“Please make music with me. I need you in my life. I need to be in your orbit in some way…”

Julie Soto has done it again. I absolutely loved this book. A delight! Not sure how she’s managed to capture a perfect romcom lightheartedness mixed with conflicts that feel believable to the plot and characters all while keeping the cringe to a minimum but I am seated for anything and everything she decides to publish.

I loved Gwen so much. Thoughtful and dedicated to her craft, it was a treat to see her explore her creativity and find balance between passion and stability. Xander… my my. I don’t think I have ever read a MMC who was that down bad. So many times I just wanted to yell at Gwen to give 👏🏼 him 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 chance 👏🏼 because my man was simping so hard it was painful to watch.

I loved their dynamic and chemistry. I loved their musical scenes. The banter, the butting heads, the tension, the cello 😏

Only thing keeping it from a solid 5 star was the third act breakup. I don’t even feel the need to preface that with a spoiler because it’s so commonplace in books like this WHICH IS FINE. There needs to be some sort of major conflict that they overcome for the relationship to find a believable footing but it’s a shame it can be seem from a mile away.

I love love love romance novels and if you do too I highly recommend picking this one up 🎻

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is a romance novel following Gewn who is a violinist and Xander who is a cellist. They are both musical prodigies but due to their different upbringings, they have followed different paths into the musical world. This was one of the best contemporary romance novels I've read ever. The writing had me hooked from the first page and then the dynamic between Gwen and Xander had me obsessed. Their relationship starts bumpy in the beginning, but you can feel the tension. I loved the way they got to know each other and broke down barriers to help each other become better people. One of the best things about this is how the music is part of the love story. It's hard to explain if you haven't read the book but the way they created together and the descriptions of how they felt while playing was stunning. I loved every second of this book and Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Going into the book, all I knew was that it started as Reylo fanfiction (at times this is pretty obvious) and that it featured a violinist and cellist. I was excited for the musical aspect and I do think it’s the part that shines through the most to me. A lot of Gwen and Xander/Alex's communication is through their music and they are in a constant conversation when they’re creating and performing with one another and I thought that was so well done.

I don’t think I realized our characters, particularly Gwen, were going to be so young. Like I get that she’s 22 and that in the context of the story she needs to be young and naive for the plot to progress the way it does and for the villains to exploit her the way they do, but it just left me frustrated and wanting more growth from her.

But what completely threw me was the 3rd act breakup and its pacing. I felt like it came in pretty late into the book, so the conflict and its resolution are rushed and not satisfying.

While it was not my favorite read I do think my reading experience (listening to its playlist as I read) played a big part in my enjoyment of this book and its ultimate rating.

When I first read the blurb, as an ex-band kid, I was not sold on Julie Soto's ability to make orchestras/music rivals sexy. I am so happy to announce that I was wrong! I knew she had me hooked before the book started with the explanation that the idea came from watching an orchestra and was Reylo inspired. How was I supposed to not love this?

For those concerned about the Reylo inspiration, it's there if you look, but Xander and Gwen are so deeply their own people. And I adore them. The way they challenge and uplift each other? So beautiful.

Julie not only does an amazing job of making orchestras sexy, but also explains them in a way that I think the terminology is accessible to most people. The tension and chemistry were delicious and had me holding my breath at points. I didn't put this one down until it was done... well past my bedtime. There's amazing character development and oh so much drama. The way the story unravels is immaculate.

This is my first Julie Soto book and she's immediately going on my auto-buy list!

💙 P.S. Should I buy tickets to the orchestra?

🎻 Book Review 🎻

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
🎻
I loved Forget Me Not, and I was SO excited when I found out this book was coming out. And then I learned that it is Reylo fanfiction about a cello and violin player, and I almost passed out. This book grabbed me from the very first sentence and didn’t let go. I devoured it in less than 24 hours and I sacrificed sleep to finish it. I had butterflies in my stomach and my hands tingled literally the entire time I was reading it. The TENSION was immaculate and my heart was pounding in the lead up to Xander and Gwen getting together. Most of the book is from Gwen’s POV, but we get a few from Xander’s POV, and they were extraordinary. I loved this book with my whole heart and I want to reread it immediately. Go read it right now!
🎻
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎻
Read if you like:
▫️violinist x cellist (musical prodigies)
▫️grumpy x sunshine
▫️forced proximity
▫️soulmates
▫️found family
▫️dual POV
🎻
Thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley, and Julie Soto for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t vibe with Julie Soto’s first book Forget Me Not, so I was a little skeptical going into Not Another Love Song. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This book is the perfect amount of horny yearning for your enemy all set in the world of orchestra. The story was really sweet, and I loved how the main characters helped each other grow and find their own voices. All the violin/cello references didn’t hurt either as a retired (in high school) viola player. I can’t recommend this book enough if you want to read the perfect romance.

This book surprised me. I’m not usually into books about musicians but this story pulled me in and made me deeply invested in both characters. I loved how the story unfolded and had such a hard time putting it down. Even the side characters were interesting and made the story very compelling. Watching the connection between Gwen and Xander blossom kept me engaged in the story. Who knew this book was gonna be so steamy? It was good mix of chemistry and physical connection so it felt realistic and interesting. This author is a new favorite for me and wait to read more of her books. Highly recommend others check this book out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Wow. The way I just ATE. THIS. UP!

This book was so cute! There was so much tension between the MCs, so much lusting after each other, I LOVED it.

And I loved, LOVED, how Alex was so gone for Gwen, how he chased her and made it very clear he wanted to date her or spend any kind of time with her!

I know little to nothing about music or playing an instrument, but it didn't matter at all, the way it was written still made it enjoyable to read and easy to understand.

The cello scene. Iykyk

Now, the "bad guys" are really easy to spot from the beginning, and the FMC is pretty naive, but I still really enjoyed this!

I'm definitely adding Forget Me Not to the top of my TBR and I definitely recommend this book!

Julie Soto did it again with a wonderful, lyrical romance full of tension and chemistry.

I loved this book so much. I read this as a fan fiction before and I was so excited to read this as a whole book.

It was so good. I read this in a day. I fell in love again with the story, the characters and the dialogue between the two.

I love how they seem to speak to each other with music.

Read this incredible story if you love :

✨ Romance ;
✨ Rivals to Lovers ;
✨ Tension and chemistry;
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine ;
✨ Slowburn ;
✨ Spicy ;
✨ Lyrical, Musical Romance.

This book is so wonderful and Julie Soto is now an auto-buy author for me! I told all my followers on Instagram to skip their tbr and pick this one up right away.

It’s got everything y’all!

🎻 enemies to lovers
🎻 found family
🎻 workplace romance
🎻 tension
🎻 he falls first
🎻 spice!

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musician prodigies in their own right who happen to be coworkers at the Pops Orchestra. A chance encounter at a wedding changes everything and with each new encounter, both their tension and their chemistry builds.

This is everything you would want in a romance and the incorporation of a musical tie between the two MCs, makes it that much better.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for gifting me this ARC!

I loved this book so much that I submitted my recommendation/review to Under the Covers book blog. The link to my review on UTC is below.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
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Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in this spicy and emotional romance.
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What I liked:
-I loved the classical music background here. I’ve never seen a symphony perform but I want to after reading this book. Gwen and Xander are both so passionate about music and performing, I loved that about them.
-The drama between all the characters was delicious and kept me reading all the pages to get to the end. (LOVED the way everything ended)
-The romance was awesome. We have our grumpy/sunshine couple, who are both competitive and yet are drawn to each other. The tension is great, and the way all the side characters kept (snarkily) rooting for them to get together was very entertaining.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed Not a Love Song, which publishes today so be sure to add it to your shelves.

Violinist Gwen has been with the Manhattan Pops for years and has now been offered the opportunity of a lifetime, First Chair. The only person standing in her way? Arrogant and super famous cellist Xander Thorne who also happens to be the lead in her favourite band.

The orchestra storyline was so interesting to us. Having never read an orchestra romance, seeing the dynamics and ranks within it and seeing how Gwen had to navigate everything was new to us. Julie Soto described playing music and the music in such a way that intrigued us. And who knew there could be so much tension while playing classical instruments! And do we want to go see an orchestra now? Yes! 😂

The tension between Gwen and Xander was there from their first meeting and didn’t let up. The passion for each other and especially the music jumps from the page. We especially loved when they started playing music together. We also can’t forget to mention the cameos by Ama and Elliot from Forget Me Not - love it so much when that happens.

This book! Ahh! It was passion, tension, lust and music to our ears. We fell in love with Gwen and Xander instantly and couldn’t stop turning the pages.

Read if you like:
▪️Rivals to lovers
▪️Brooding arrogant MMCs
▪️Open door romance
▪️Music!
▪️Listening to Vitamin String Quartet 🎼 (that’s what we pictured Manhattan Pops to be - except with a full orchestra)

I'm in the minority of people who didn't enjoy forget me not...so feel free to take this with a grain of salt 🤣. I wanted to give this author another chance because everyone adored her first book, and this one had an Abby stamp of approval.

I've been playing piano for about 25 years and am classically trained. I loved the musical aspect of this book. I could feel the music coming off the page and it was awesome to be so immersed in that aspect of things.

The MCs, coworkers and rivals (but she doesn't know it) to lovers, had a chemistry that wasn't really believable. While it was there, it was hard to follow how they really connected in the first place. The musical chemistry came flying off the page, the spicy scenes were spicy, but his mood swings and her naivety, it was hard to see how they connected beyond that.

Workplace drama doesn't bother me (seeing what you can overhear by the water cooler I'm totally for!) But there was SO much conflict that didn't really feel resolved (Nathan's involvement, Lorenz, Thorne and roses, POPs, Mabel and Ava, heck even with Gwen and Zander). Because there was so many other plot lines going on with things that needed resolution, this story really didn't need a third act break on top of. Because truly, by the end there was a rush to resolve all the the things and there were so many gaps for the reader to guess through both what happened and do we feel that the characters had resolutions appropriate to their story lines and ultimately, for me, the answer was no.

This was an easy read, an extra star for the parts I did love but at the end of the day I don't think this author is for me.





Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This contemporary romance about two gifted musicians hit all the right notes! Gwen is a talented violinist, who was primarily trained by a local music shop owner. Xander is a prodigious musician (cellist and violinist, as well as dabbling in other instruments) who has turned his skills into a 2Cellos/Lindsey Stirling type level of fame. They both play for the same pops orchestra, and clash personally and professionally until sparks turn into more. The development of their relationship felt very natural and yet still was so fun to read. Plenty of spice, even more feelings.

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read and review.

Two musicians fall in love but will fame and the desire for more get in the way?

I don't even know where to start with this one. From the first page, I knew I was going to adore it. The chemistry between them was magical and so different than anything I've ever read (the tension, the cello scene?!?!) This book takes you away just like music does, you feel the highs and lows and every emotion in-between. Gwen and Alex are one of my new favorite book couples!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever Hatchette Book Group, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Could this be my favorite romance of the year so far?? I think it could!

This felt like Check & Mate, but turn up the ante on the tension and spice. I mean, come on, that cello scene will live rent free in my mind, and I ain’t mad about it. I’m sure classically trained musicians will note all the issues and talk about how unrealistic this is, but I was a choir kid and thus am blissfully ignorant in how to play any kind of string instrument.

I say this with the utmost admiration and flattery – Julie Soto started as a fanfic writer and *it shows*. Bravo, Julie, can’t wait for the encore.

Julie Soto’s Forget Me Not was one of my favorite 2023 romances. So I was excited to read Not Another Love Song. Based on how much I enjoyed this one as well, I can now say that Julie Soto is an auto buy author for me!

Musical prodigies Gwen and Xander have arrived at the Pops Orchestra on very different paths. The two clash when Gwen is offered a coveted first chair role. Despite their initial animosity, they have undeniable chemistry, on and off the stage, and growing feelings. Could a publicity stunt crush their new relationship before it really starts?

I loved how Gwen and Xander connected through music. Despite the tension that their rivalry creates, these two are made for each other. And their banter is just perfection! Get ready for the spice when Gwen and Xander finally give in to their feelings. 🥵

Fans of Forget Me Not will enjoy some glimpses of Ama and Elliot.

This emotional romance also deals with family and finding yourself. I could easily see this great read being a wonderful movie or tv series!

I LOVED this!! Alex and Gwen are two rival musicians in an orchestra, and boy is the tension and chemistry between them off the charts. I loved Gwen and Alex so much, and I was rooting for them to get together through the book. And can we talk about the spice scenes??? They were so hot!
While I did really enjoy it, I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, and I wasn’t fully satisfied with it. Despite this I highly recommend you read this ASAP!!!