“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.”

Julie Soto’s writing is phenomenal. Her books play out like movies in my mind while I’m reading them every time. This story was so beautiful and I wish it was a movie so much!

The way she describes everything is so well done. I don’t find it too fluffy or boring. It’s just enough information to help you see exactly where you’re at in the moment.

Alex is such a flex. His timeliness. His words. His actions. He is just everything and I loved him so much!

Gwen is such a powerhouse out of no where. I felt like she was going to be meek but she quickly proved me wrong and became this amazing lead character for me.

This story is so beautifully written and I absolutely cannot recommend it enough. <3

Loved this book. Great spice level, plot moved throughout the whole book. Never felt slow. Incredibly enjoyable

Oh, no. I don't think this one should have left the world of fan fiction.

Sometimes ff just reads as ff and as much as I really enjoyed Forget Me Not, this one just didn't stack up.

It was too insta-love for rivals to lovers, everything about the orchestra and opportunities given to our MC was extremely unrealistic, and the big bad guy was like a caricature. Also every s*x scene referenced triplets and arpeggios. It was just too much.

Not Another Love Song is another beautiful romance book by Julie Soto. I loved Julie's first book and this one is just as good. The chemistry was off the charts and it made me truly want to hear the music that the main characters were making together. This is by far one of the best romance books I have read this year! And I will absolutely devour any future books by Julie Soto.
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC!

Wow. This story was so addicting. I started this the other day and I could not stop thinking about this book the entire day. My day at work was spent counting down minutes until I could read this book again. Julie Soto’s writing is just so addictive. I love the characters she creates and the stories she tells.

The family aspects in this book were so well done and at times so devastating to read. I loved seeing both Alex/Xander and Gwen’s journey and their growth of finding themselves and who they want to be. I absolutely adored all the characters and really just loved everything about this book.

This was my first book by the author. I really enjoyed this one! It was really cute. I loved the sexual tension between Gwen and Xander Thorne and the setting of playing in an orchestra. I never learned how to play an instrument, but I can appreciate the art. With that, I didn't connect with the story in that way because I had no idea what was being talked about when it came to the music being played in the story. I could absolutely see this book being made into a movie someday! And the cover! I absolutely love the cover of this book and think of that scene whenever I look at it. It was interesting to read a fanfic, and with this being a Reylo fanfic my curiosity was piqued.

Not Another Love Song is an utterly romantic, grumpy x sunshine story about two rival musicians.

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 you 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.

Thank you so, so much to NetGalley and to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this wonderful book! I loved it so much! All opinions are my own.

Easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. Julie blew me away again with her second book. Absolutely loved the tension, the raw emotion, the romance and of course, the music. I wasn’t sure I was going to love a book about two musicians, seeing as I know almost nothing about music, instruments, etc. except that I appreciate listening to it. But wow, I was rooting this couple on from the start and never stopped. Their professions and their love for their instruments and the art they create was so beautifully done in this book. Julie blew me away with Forget Me Not last year, and I absolutely loved seeing a glimpse of FMN characters in this book. Gwen and Alex really held on to my heart. Julie does an amazing job at writing grumpy characters that we can’t help but fall in love with!

I’ve never wanted to go an orchestra performance but Julie Soto has made me want to become a season ticket holder 🎻

Not Another Love Song is sweet, a bit emotional, and down right romantic. Not to mention it has the perfect amount of humor and spice. Seriously, theres a scene with a cello that is required reading…holy moly 🔥🔥🔥

This is mainly single POV but you get some beautiful chapters from the MMC’s POV sprinkled in. I wishhhh there were more but I’ll take whatever I can get. Speaking of the MMC, I’d pay good money for some fan art of that man carrying his cello case. Sheesh. If you like a strong, silent type who’s got some attitude, you’ll fall in love with Xander.

Also, I loved Gwen (FMC). Her story was super inspiring and she’s the type of character you just wanna squeeze. Ohh and the cameos from Ama and Elliot were so fun. Love seeing them thrive!

Overall, this is absolutely a must read!!

Adult romance with tropes of workplace romance, opposites attract, and slow burn. I loved this book! The storyline flowed so beautifully and was captivating, emotional, and hopeful. The main characters, Gwen and Alex, also stole my heart! Gwen was full of determination and grew in self-confidence throughout the book. While, Alex was angsty and emotionally lost. Their relationship was so sweet and very steamy! I was very satisfied by the ending too. Overall, I loved everything about this book!

I really enjoyed Not Another Love Song. The chemistry between Alex and Gwen was off the charts and I loved how down bad Alex was for Gwen. There was one scene that I found a little cheesy and unrealistic but once that scene was over, I couldn’t put the book down and flew through the end of the book. I really enjoyed the glimpses of Ama and Elliot as well! Julie Soto is definitely an auto buy author for me, can’t wait to read what she writes next!

4.5

Julie just has a way with words. It's so easy to consume her works (unpublished & published) because how she draws you in with her characters. In Not Another Love Song, she gives us a roller coaster of emotions. Her ability to write emotions and mirror them with music (that you can only imagine) was stunning. I finished this in one sitting. I've never disliked anything Julie has written and after devouring this latest novel, I doubt I ever will.

Thank you to Julie & NetGalley for a free copy of this ARC!

4.5⭐️ rounded up

After Xander Thorne’s unsolicited critique of Gwen Jackson’s performance at his friend’s wedding, she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. Unfortunately for her, the two play in the same orchestra and things get even more uncomfortable when Gwen is offered the position of First Chair, a position that Xander has been secretly coveting for years. Despite some initial animosity, the pair find themselves drawn together for more reasons than their musical prowess.

Who knew that the cello was so freaking hot? Definitely not me! I will probably never be able to look at a cello or a violin without blushing ever again. I have played piano since I was kid, but I never felt the way about music that Xander and Gwen do; however, Soto builds such a beautiful and immersive world from these characters and drew me in so deeply that I could feel the the emotions jump off the page.

Somehow, Soto manages to make the relationship feel like it develops too quickly and too slowly at the same time which amps up the tension beautifully. The way the Xander is clearly gone for Gwen, but she is completely oblivious made me absolutely insane—in the absolute best way! Soto built so much into the backstory of each character that the evolution of the characters and their relationship feels incredibly believable and natural.

Not only does Soto evoke all the emotions when it comes to music and a strong loving relationship, but she also demonstrates predatory relationships to avoid. It’s subtle at first and then builds up as the book continues, climaxing around the same time we hit the climax of the relationship. Soto is perfectly able to show how trauma and our pasts are able to negatively affect our present and how to find your voice to break the cycle.

And listen, I have never been a Reylo girlie. To be fair, I’ve never been a Star Wars girlie so there’s not really been an opportunity to be a Reylo girlie. But the way that Soto writes Xander makes me want to explore more of the Reylo fanfiction that has found its way into published media. That man is feral for Gwen and it makes me feral for him and that’s everything I could ever want in a book boyfriend.

As a side note, the amount of times the word fingering is used in this book and it NOT be related to adult activities is actually criminal and Julie Soto needs to be directed straight to jail. As long as she can continue publishing books from there because, as I knew after I read her debut, she is an author to watch and I can’t wait for whatever she has coming next.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

4.5 rounded up.

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever, and NetGalley for an ARC! All opinions are my own.

I had no idea how Julie Soto was going to be able to compete with Forget Me Not with Not Another Love Song but I really should have trusted the process because this book was *delicious*.

I am not a musically inclined person whatsoever beyond enjoying listening to it, and singing poorly to it, so a ton of the more musically complex content probably went over my head but I still never felt like I was missing out? Like the context felt strong enough to keep me more like “ah yes! An arpeggio! That is a thing I know beyond the song from Aristocats!”

Also I have screamed it before and I will scream it again. I will be down bad Every. Damn. Time. for tall, grumpy, dark-haired, brooding man who falls first. Give me a bigger spoon because I am inhaling that dessert.

I dropped off a half star only because I don’t think there needed to be the combined drama of Xander/Alex’s shitty agent as well as the conflict with Nathan. I felt like they both wrapped up a bit too cleanly at the end, whereas maybe with just one, things would have felt a little more accurate to real life.

Overall, loved this book, love Alex and Gwen, excellent work.

POV: third person, primarily single POV, occasional chapters from another POV

You can expect: professional musicians, opposites attract, rivals to lovers, coworkers to lovers, he falls first, people pleaser FMC, forced proximity, music as a love language.

Rep: gay side character, breast cancer (past, side character)

Spice: 3/5

CW: death of a parent (past, from cancer)

Oof. Okay so I didn’t know this was originally a fan fiction that was rewritten until after I finished it. I knew there was something really weird about the writing. It’s so vastly different from Forget Me Not, which was SUCH an incredible book. Turns out, it’s the first book Julie ever wrote and she just spruced it up. Okay, girl, I love you, but this was not it. It was unrealistic, the characters were barely likable, and to top it off, you kept it in third person POV. Terrible. I’m sorry, this wasn’t what I was expecting. I’ll read her next one, though!

Orchestra is… spicy!?! Ok, I am usually hard to please with romance novels, I admit. But I am loving Julie Soto! This was another winner for me!

I loved the element of music as almost another “character” in this love story. The way Gwen and Alex’s chemistry came alive via descriptions of musical composition, sound and duetting…. I learned a lot about this world that I didn’t know before. I am here for the yearning and the burning! The dialogue, side characters, build up… I enjoyed it all.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Complete and utter perfection. I do not have a musical bone in my body and this book makes me incredibly sad that I do not. But music moves me. I feel every emotion and feeling. It is the most magical feeling in the world. The power music has. And to read it so incredibly well done in this book…awestruck. I loved every single second. The entire time I read this book I kept thinking of that episode of Glee where they did the Michael Jackson songs and ‘Smooth Criminal’ was sung with the cello and violin…absolutely beautiful.

Xander and Gwen were perfection from the very first page. Their chemistry and his complete awe of her. He saw her so clearly. Gwen put herself in a box and I loved how he helped her to look outside of it and see her full potential when so many people tried to mold her into what they thought was best. Xander’s struggles were relatable and the ‘Alex version’ at the end of the book was a nice little touch to how things are now. I loved the character growth throughout this book and the chemistry between them was freaking top notch.

Thanks to NetGallery and Forever Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an Honest review.

I really don't know how to start this review. While I liked elements of this story (romance, the mmc and the tension between them during the first 50-60% of the book), the story as a whole fell flat for me. While the beginning was slow, I still found myself entertained, and completely immersed on the tension between our main characters. Yes, I was annoyed with the Gwen for the majority of the book, but Xander (Alex), made me love the first chunk of the book. BUT BOY OH BOY....things took a turn for me. Around 75% they completely lost me, because I just couldn't understand how it was possible for both characters be so naïve and so unable to stand up for themselves for so long.

By that point, I was not only annoyed by Gwen, but really found myself really annoyed by BOTH of the main characters. I just didn't find I could care at all for Gwen and the whole Pops situation, and Xander with his, like I called it "Hannah Montana dilema". I wished they had character development, substance or anything that would make me care for them as individuals. I wanted to root for them but I just couldn't.

The reason I am giving this 3 stars and not lower is because I really liked the first half of the book, I liked Xander for the most part and the writing wasn't bad. But yeah, I don't think Julie is for me.

I have never read a book that has made me go so feral and insane than this book. The tension!!! Excuse me??!! It was insane, it was so grand, and it just, I don't even know how to describe the emotion, but I was in awe of the connection Gwen and Alex had. And just the way Julie Soto, her mind, would describe certain moments, like a buildup for example, using musical terms, I just have to applaud her for that. It made the book just so entertaining and I was hooked!
It made giggle and kick my feet knowing Alex comes off as such a grump but he was actually so infatuated by Gwen and at his knees for her (literally!), it makes your heart flutter. And Gwen, god I loved her, she was literally the kindest soul. And I felt like she was the first person to see Alex.
I loved when they had conversations about music and themselves, those were the times when you can both understand them as a person and it warmed my heart.

This book was fun, angsty, hot, steamy, exciting, do yourself a favor and read it!!


Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!!

I did not enjoy this at all. But I also understand why people would like it. Reylo fanfic isn’t my favorite at all but sometimes I can get past it. This one I absolutely could not. It’s boring and childish and so cringe. The writing is fine but it reads like an NA romance - the choices Gwen and Alex/Xander make feel young, the language feels young (which I guess makes sense because she is 22!!!! I didn’t realize she was so young from the blurb). Even the tension wasn’t giving a lot of tension - the ending was predictable and therefore not satisfactory.

Overall this wasn’t for me. Was I biased because I already don’t love how reylo fanfic has taken over the romance industry? Maybe. But regardless I don’t think it’s a good book.