wow. this blew me away. i’ve never read a book about musicians before and i’m in awe of how well the beauty of their relationship was demonstrated through the music they created together.

this is my first officially published novel of Julie’s and her writing will never stop blowing me away. for years and years everything she writes will be imprinted in my mind.

this book was perfection. such good tension, chemistry, friendship, and love. i’m in awe. truly.


thank u netgalley for the arc 💙

I loved the authors first book so I was very excited for this one. This one wasn’t quite as good in my opinion but I did still really enjoy it and would recommend it. I will probably read everything this author writes.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Format: Kindle (ARC)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5 Really liked it, read it!
🌶️ Rating: 4

Julie Soto…this book was music to my ears. I just finished Julie Soto's latest novel, and it’s a stellar 4.5-star read! This book captivated me with its unique blend of romance, tension, and emotional depth, making it one of my favorites this year.

The story follows Gwen Jackson, a talented violinist whose life changes when she meets Alex Thorne, a gifted cellist. Their first meeting is anything but smooth; Alex’s arrogance and Gwen’s insecurities create plenty of tension.

Soto really wrote Gwen to be such a great character. Her struggles and triumphs are so real and relatable. Despite not having formal education and growing up as an orphan, she shines with determination and talent. Her journey of self-discovery and growth is both inspiring and heartwarming.

Alex is complicated. His confidence hides deeper insecurities. His initial harshness towards Gwen comes from his own struggles with self-worth. Watching him change as he sees Gwen’s unique brilliance is amazing. And so is the tension and spice between the two.

The way they communicate through their music is breathtaking and adds an extra layer to their love story.

Whether you’re a fan of contemporary romance or just looking for a beautifully written, emotionally rich read, this book is a must-read. Dive into this symphony of love and let it sweep you off your feet!

This was my first Julie Soto, and it certainly won’t be my last! This ticked all my boxes… it was well-written and clever, I cared about the characters, the romance was delicious, and the spice was absolutely perfect. People keep talking about the cello scene (which was great!), but my friends, allow me to hype the impromptu duet. This was so sensual, so passionate—it was steamier than a fair number of sex scenes I’ve read, and they were all the way across the stage from each other! Gwen and Xander are both fully formed people with their own (believable) issues, and I was rooting for them from the start. Not just that they’d get their happily ever after, but that they’d figure out what they truly wanted and find a way to get there together. I loved it from start to finish!

are you kidding me????

Wow. I’m kind of at a loss for words about this book. I read Soto’s freshman novel (Forget Me Not) last year and remember enjoying it very much, but not thinking it was my favorite thing ever. I picked up the ARC of Not Another Love Song when it was a Read Now on Netgalley a few months ago, thinking “hmm, I’ve read a Julie Soto before. Let’s just see how this one goes.”
If you see my rating, you’ll see that I was thoroughly impressed with this story. Not only impressed, but I was in love with this story. I’ve played instruments my entire life, so I had a great time reading about all the different ones in a symphony.
This story follows our main character, Gwen, who has played in an orchestra since she was 18 years old in NYC. She and her friend are hired to play a violin/piano duet at a wedding one day, but when they show up to the wedding, the planner has made a mistake. She meant to book a cello/piano duet, but Gwen has only tried the cello a few times. Luckily, there is a quest who just happens to have a spare cello in his car for Gwen to borrow. Enter Xander Thorne, one of the hottest and most talented cello players out there. And he just so happens to play in the same orchestra as Gwen, but he doesn’t remember her.
The story goes on to form a beautiful love story and a super swoony main hero. I loved reading about Gwen and Alex’s relationship and the revelations they go through involving the orchestra and their music.
I loved Gwen and Alex both as main characters. Sure, they were flawed and had their own issues, but I fell in love with them anyways. I also really enjoyed seeing the cameos from the Forget Me Not characters!! That was such a pleasant surprise!
I can’t WAIT for Julie Soto’s next book.

I received this as an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• strings musicians (violin v. cello)
• orphan rep
• found family
• grumpy x sunshine
• Reylo inspired
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

✨ 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
First chair violinist Gwen‘s world is rocked by cello rockstar Xander Thorne as they battle each other across the stage with their instruments and thick sexual tension.

✨ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
Julie Soto does it again! These characters are fully fleshed out and have their own complicated pasts that make them who they are. The spice here isn’t as insane as Forget Me Not, but there is plenty of slow burn tension that makes your legs clench.

I loved getting a backstage view of being a part of a professional orchestra. I’ve performed before, but didn’t know about first chair violin being the concertmaster which was an amazing to learn since I’d seen the conductor shake the violinists hand at I show I sang in. Now I know why!

This book is for the Julie Soto fans and of course for readers that are either interested in orchestra life or have been a part of that life. First chair violin and first chair cello sexual tension isn’t something I knew needed.

This was my first Julie Soto and it definitely held my attention the whole time, but I wanted more. The spice was spicy and absolutely delivered there, but I didn’t have the emotional connection that I was expecting to have with these characters. Overall, this was a good time and I would absolutely read another book by this author again.

I really enjoyed this book overall!
I loved the role music plays in both I these characters differently, but eventually bringing them together.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC support in exchange for review.

I've always wished I was musically inclined, and reading this book just added to that. I also really love NYC, so the setting was 😍. 

Ok, it's a romance, so some cheesiness is allowed in a review right? Good. I found the writing to be so good that, even without hearing the music, I could feel it. The way they spoke to each other with a cello and violin, and the chemistry you could feel just from reading about it? So good. It made me really wish someone would write a soundtrack for this book. 

Also, everytime Thorne and Roses came into play, all I pictured was an 80s hair band on strings...or that time my husband and I randomly saw trisiberian orchestra and giggled the whole time...I just couldn't 😆.

I absolutely love when authors tie in characters from their other books, whether it's a planned out series or not. If you've read Julie Soto's Forget Me Not, you'll like the little cameos she gives those characters.

I have to say, this was my first book by Julie Soto and I was very underwhelmed. It just didn't stick with me, and for a few reasons. First, I felt like there was little to no character development. Throughout the book, I was waiting for the FMC to have a moment of clarity and mature out of her naivety. Her consistently just running away or as she was called "the bolter", was just immature. The plot was not well paced with going from zero to 100 in an instant. I had to run back to reread, as their relationship took off at a rocket paced speed. These factors made it a really hard book to read for me. I truly see how this was a WattPad book, in the way there were several different plot lines that were just not developed to their potential.

However, I truly enjoyed the spicy scene that graces the cover! And would read another book of Julie's, since so many friends have recommended her in the past.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book!

I had heard great things about Julie Soto all over Goodreads and was curious when I saw her new book in the catalog. It definitely lived up to my expectations, even if the last third of the novel fell apart. Not Another Love Song is the unique romance between a violinist and cellist in a New York orchestra. I adore classical music, both the traditional pieces and modern covers. This book had great readability and I couldn't put it down. Gwen was a naive and stubborn heroine, but she was compelling to read. The hero on the other hand had enough emotional whiplash to make your head spin. It was great to read from his perspective a few times, but I wish we had gotten more than the quadrilles we were allotted.

Not Another Love Song was a fun, creative romance novel that I enjoyed the majority of my reading experiences. For all the compositions they mentioned, I would look them up on YouTube to see what the characters were playing. I got a few of the references because I was already familiar with them, like Vitamin String Quartet and Lindsey Stirling. The book opened up with an author's note that she originally got her start in writing fanfiction and that was evident through 1/4 into the novel. The pining looks, dramatic exits, and honestly the last third of the novel. By the time they consummated their relationship, the book's angst quadrupled. Xander turned into a stage 5 clinger and Gwen lost all her logical thinking. It somewhat undid all their progress they had already established before this huge step. The sloppy ending made me dock a star from an otherwise stellar book.

Not Another Love Song was an exciting romance and I've found a new author to pursue. I don't believe I'll read her freshman novel because I can't stand second chance romances. This was a fun book and it's great to see characters heavily involved in the arts. I couldn't stop thinking about the August Rush movie about a cellist and a bad boy musician. I remembering the movie as a teen, but the vibes were immaculate. If you like musician romances, this is a great pick. I promise it's Not Another Love Song.

This was my first Julie Soto book, and it definitely did not disappoint. I read the majority of this book in 24 hours because I just couldn’t put it down! Gwen and Xander were PERFECT, and the burn was so good. And the cello scene?! Loved!! I really enjoyed how Julie Soto wound the musical aspects into the story and included some of Xander’s POV throughout.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been as excited to nab an ARC as I was to scoop up Julie Soto’s Not Another Love Song (out tomorrow).

I devoured her first novel, Forget Me Not, in 36 feverish hours. I was drawn in not just by the spark between Elliot and Ama, but by how fully drawn she felt as a protagonist: fierce, stubborn, and skilled.

I wish I could say Gwen was as complex. She is feisty, but Not Another Love Song is a melody for Xander Thorne, a minor character in FMN who gets space to breathe and mess up here. It’s also (according to the author’s note) adapted from Star Wars fan fiction Soto dreamed up ruminating on the tension that would ensue if first chair and first cello hated each other.

Some of my favorite parts of the book are tied up in other properties — the parallels with Star Wars, cameos from Soto’s other characters, one-off mentions of New York institutions like SNL and the Broadway Baseball League. But the heart of the book is Xander and Gwen’s surprising chemistry. I’m sure this book will be sold as enemies to lovers, but that feels like a mislabel.

Their love is gentler than you’d expect, given the source material. It’s sweet, almost entoxicating. It soars.

5 ⭐️ /5
3 🌶️/5

Loved this book. I would describe Not Another Love Song as a love song dedicated to Gwen & Xander falling in love. Although this is a bit of a slow burn, once it heats up the spice it is on fire!

If you are looking for a contemporary romance that will give you butterflies, this is full of intense chemistry, features rivals/enemies to lovers, and includes lots of hot sexual tension, this is for you. I love how Xander is a complete mystery and we get to know his back story little by little as the book progresses. I love how intertwined the characters are.

While reading this I was reminded of From Lukov with Love from Mariana Zapata (one of my favorite books), so if you enjoy rivals forced to work together in the public eye please pick this up. Instead of the ice skating rink, the stage for Not Another Love Song is Carnegie Hall, and Xander and Gwen battle it out on the cello and violin.

Thank you to Forever publishing & NetGalley for the ARC. My thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub date: 7/16

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever for my advanced copy.

Gwen Jackson is a talented violinist from humble beginnings, and Xander Thorne is a cello prodigy from a prestigious musical lineage. Their paths cross at the Pops Orchestra, where Gwen’s natural talent and Xander’s refined skills collide.

When Gwen secures the coveted First Chair position, Xander’s jealousy ignites, but so does respect for her talent. Their professional competition and sizzling chemistry onstage build a slow-burning romance that is thrilling. I never knew classical music could be so sexy!

Soto’s writing skillfully navigates Gwen and Xander’s journey, balancing the highs and lows of their relationship with exquisite detail. The story is told primarily from Gwen’s POV, but Soto drops a Xander POV every few chapters, showing all the pining he’s been doing for Gwen.

I love Gwen and find her so relatable. The side characters are well-developed, making their struggles and triumphs feel real. I loved the setting, the pacing, and all the behind-the-scenes drama at the Pops. The spice level is perfect and enhances the already emotional story.
This is a perfect blend of romance, rivalry, and music, and I highly recommend it!

Read if you like:
*rivals to lovers
*forced proximity
*found family
*pining
*classical music
*open door spice

W O W! I am in love with this one. Gwen and Xander have the most intense chemistry. This was one of my favorite reads of the year so far, I can't get over how quickly I flew through reading this one. If you have not read any of Julie Soto's books yet, you need to bump them up your TBR, but especially this one.

I cannot overstate how beautifully the lyricism of her prose was in this book. I'm not a musician and maybe if I was a professional it wouldn't hit the same, but it really worked for me. I loved the comparisons to music in Gwen's thoughts as she navigates the build of her relationship with Xander, but also trying to navigate what she wants out of her career and for herself.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW the chemistry between these characters!!! I couldn’t get enough of this love story — the tension and chemistry were just perfect, and I loved the way Soto wove music into the spicy scenes. They were written so poetically and beautifully, and I felt as though I could hear the music as I read! Even though both characters had their flaws, I found them easy to root for — even Alex, even when his walls were up and he was being kind of an ass. I can’t wait to reread this book!

An excellent and quick read with a grumpy sunshine trope. The plot was interesting and fun - with a very likeable FMC.

3.75 stars★

"Give this a chance. The two of us. I'm not good with words, I'm not good at speaking things. I'm good with notes on a page. I'm good at music—and that's what I tried to tell you on that stage just now."

I've been stuck in a major reading rut, and this book is the first one in a long time that I genuinely enjoyed and managed to finish, which speaks volumes! The writing, tension, and romance progression were all top-notch. Who would've thought that string instruments had such an alluring charm? lol

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the arc. I loved this. I went in wary because some friends hadn't enjoyed it, but I had a great time. The heavy music focus won't be for everyone, but as a former musical theatre kid, I loved it. I really liked how everything came together and seeing old friendships mended and assholes kicked to the curb. It's a bit slow in the beginning, but once I got into it, I was so into it.