This book is HOT! The banter. The pining. The inspiration. This book is everything. I was so into it. Xander and Gwen are perfect and imperfect. They both has struggles to deal with. There a lot of character growth. All the while the mutual pining borders on obsession. Also, the cello scene. Who knew the orchestra could be so hot.
Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for this eARC!

This book deserves all the hype!

Not Another Love Song took my breath away. It was so amazing. I loved every moment of reading it. Rivals to lovers but make it really angsty and romantic? Sign me the heck up!!

I found the music scene (especially the classical music scene) to be very interesting since I know nothing about it. I thought the setting was a great stage for these two characters to push each other and discover that they actually had a lot in common. The development of the relationship was done beautifully. Gwen and Xander are perfect for the angst readers. There is a lot of chemistry between them that creates perfect tension. The intimate scenes were well done too. Plus we actually get the scene that's on the cover (OMG!!).

This book is addictive, you're not going to be able to put it down.

When I saw that Julie Soto was writing another love story after Forget Me Not, I was ecstatic. I still think about that book almost a year later. When given the absolutely gracious opportunity to read this much anticipated follow up I was through the roof excited. But all of that pales in comparison as I read Not Another Love Song. What makes a book 5 stars in my world is a book that I want to read and finish very quickly for myself. That is exactly what my experience with Not Another Love Song was. I zipped through this book.

Gwen is the sunshine, bright violin playing star of the Manhattan Pops, a popular music playing orchestra in New York. She is the protege of Mabel, a tough love musical tutor and mother figure to Gwen. Having lost her mother young and her grandfather a few short years later, Gwen is seeking stability. With no formal training beyond Mabel and getting her start in the subway playing for tips, Gwen just wants to keep her head down, play music, and pay the bills. What more could she ask for? But when Xander Thorne, head of Gwen’s favorite band, joins the Pops her whole world is challenged. Brooding and cloudy to Gwen’s sunlight, Xander has much to teach Gwen about music, priorities, and love. Set in New York City, Not Another Love song will have you captivated and turning the page for the continuation of the sweet melodies woven through the pages. From the most intensely sensual cello playing to the family and relationships drama, Soto builds a world that’s both believable and beautiful. This couple makes the most beautiful music both on and off the stage. I can’t wait for you to meet them, their music is stunning between just them, but even more gorgeous when observed by the audience.

A huge thank you to Julie Soto, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my fair, honest review.

I really enjoyed this. The tension between Gwen and Xander was great. I loved seeing some of the characters from her last book in a cameo type of way. They did a great job of making me understand the music and orchestra parts with me not knowing much about them, with out it being too explanation.
I would have liked to have had more of Xander's' point of view, I found his view interesting.

All I kept thinking about was Kylo Ren and it made me a happy girl. 😂

This book was so so so good!! I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibes. I loved seeing Alex and Gwen grow with one another, as a couple and as musicians. I was a bit lost in the music talk but it was so beautiful written when they were playing in the orchestra that I didn’t mind.

I did feel the ending was a little rushed and kind of wished they had taken a bit more time to come together. But that’s the angst lover in me. 🤣

It was also so much fun to see some of the characters from the first book! Love those kind of cameos.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

4.5★
The way I flew through this book was such a wild and fun ride lol. The tension between these two was dripping off of the page, I felt that I should not have experienced that level of intimacy as a third party in their relationship but WOW am I glad I did lmao. I really liked the pace at which their relationship grew. I felt like it was realistic, especially with their start and it kept me super hooked into the story. I thought the growth from both of them was great and I enjoyed both of their perspectives. I like that her male perspective is included but still elusive, keeps me super interested. The third act lost me a little bit which is why I feel like I can't give it a full five stars. It felt super abrupt and their reasonings felt hollow however I felt like as I read on and saw how they both handled it, it made sense. Also, the scene of Gwen's solo that came from it was so emotional that lowkey it was worth the pain. The spice in this was also HOT as heck I could not stop reading. Julie Soto's books just work for me and I am so glad I got to read another one because Xander and Gwen were everything.

When I read Soto's debut book last year, I knew she was going to be an auto-buy author for me. She's such an amazing storyteller, and Forget Me Not was positively swoon-worthy. I mean, heart-growing, pearl-clutching, swoontastically romantic, and I can't get enough. So, when I was offered an early copy of her second book, Not Another Love Song, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have to say, it exceeded my expectations!

The chemistry between Gwen and Alex is off the charts, and I want to officially add Alex to my favorite book boyfriends list. Oh my word, get a fan because this man is fire! He falls so hard and so fast for Gwen, who is enthralled but a bit more hesitant than Alex. I feel like I could write pages about their relationship and how it grew and changed over the course of the story because it's so rich and powerful and ROMANTIC! They literally make beautiful music together, and though I sometimes had no idea what they were talking about when it came to music, the angst, sexual tension, and chemistry were off the charts!

Gwen and Alex are both talented musicians, with very different backgrounds. Alex is a child prodigy who is now the front man in a popular band. He's also from a musically influential family, whereas Gwen is working her way up in the music industry and struggles to make ends meet. It's an interesting look, not just at two imperfect people who are perfect for each other but also at the complexities of the industry. The author also delves deep into the beauty and power of music. It's done exceptionally well, and the music Alex and Gwen create captures their feelings for each other so perfectly. There are definitely some music-making, sexy scenes that will live rent-free in my head for a while. lol

If you liked Forget Me Not, you'll be thrilled to know that several of the characters (including the MMC and FMC) have minor roles in this book. I LOVED that! Seeing how their relationship has progressed and what's going on in their lives made me so happy. I also really liked the messages in the book. Like the characters, the plot is unique, well-developed, nuanced, and compelling. It's the type of read that is fun and romantic but also has some powerful and thought-provoking themes as well as some funny and some touching moments. It's so much more than a love story, and I adored every second of it!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

▪️𝘕𝘠𝘊 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨
▪️𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
▪️𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
▪️𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺

ooooh there was just something about the end of this that had me so legitimately happy. like my cold heart was smiling. i’m a sucker for a creatives romance, and this delivered in that sense🩷
thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the eARC🎻

Thank you Forever Pub and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Julie Soto does it again. I'm completely obsessed with Alex Fitzgerald and his alter ego Xander Thorne. This was excellently done--the tension, the characters, the plot. Easily one of my favorite romances of the summer and I can't wait for what Soto does next.

Not Another Love Song is out July 16.

I can’t put my fingers on if it’s the characters, the beats, the writing, but Julie Soto makes magic. 

It’s the five-star you know it is when you start reading, it’s in the first tense moments. It’s the way she crafts so much care for the main character within only the first two pages. Without getting to know her completely I was ready to lay down hands for Gwen just like Jacob. 

It’s the book you pace because you know there’s no re-reading it for the first time. 

The emotions! I could feel every note of Gwen learning of Alex and his life.

The moments sitting across each other have me clinging from one page to the next. Alex is OBSESSED and I’m always here for that. 

The music they create is like it’s on the tip of my ear, like I can hear it but I wish I actually could because I know it would be beyond beautiful and deadly to my heart. 

A five-star emotional romance that has you scrolling through orchestra playlists until you can find a song that replicates the magic of this novel if one even exists.

REVIEW: Not Another Love Song ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ok, Not Another Love Song was just the book I needed now. It gave me so many feelings and kept me hooked throughout. I’m actually a bit sad that it is done.

Xander Thorne is a famous cello player in a band called Thorne and Roses. Gwen is part of the orchestra Manhattan Pops as a violin player. Gwen has a huge celebrity crush on Xander, so when she sees him as the first cello chair in Pops, she is super nervous. Things start to change around Pops and Gwen is promoted to first chair violin. A rivalry begins between Gwen and Xander; how will this tension affect the orchestra?

Not Another Love Song was a great romance that really drew me in. It features rivals to lovers, insta love, and lots of sexual tension. All this together not only created a sweet and deep romance story but also brought the spice in! I didn’t know the orchestra and instruments could be so sexy. ;-) Not Another Love Song also had strong themes of self-discovery, found family, and learning not to do everything to please others. Xander and Gwen were the perfect imperfect characters. They both had realistic flaws and strengths. Plus their chemistry together was top-notch.

The only minor thing is that I wished that there were a few more chapters from Xander’s point of view. There were some, but not as many as there were in Gwen’s point of view.

I really loved Not Another Love Song. It was just what I needed: a sweet, steamy, and cute romance.

Thank you, Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Here is what I’ll say, this felt like a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. Musicians have always given me the ick, there is something about the emotions behind music that I cannot personally understand. It feels like too much for me and since this book follows two musicians…I struggled a bit.

However, I can absolutely see the beauty in this story and the music and the love story.

I’d also say that I wish the forward of the book hadn’t told me this was a fanfic because throughout the entire story it just kept feeling like a fanfic to me. I’ve never read a fan fiction story and truthfully, I have no desire to, so I wish that tidbit of information had been in the acknowledgments after the book and maybe my feelings would have changed.

I also kind of wish we had just a little bit more from Alex’s POV. I think it could have added to the story just a bit more. He was almost TOO mysterious.

Overall though, I did think the book was cute. It was a pretty typical romance and I can see how and why some readers would love this story!


3.5 ⭐️ | 📚 | 🌶️🌶️ (1.5)

1000000000 stars.

I didn't know I needed this enemies to lovers orchestra edition romance. Once I started reading, I could not put this book down. I was giggling, screaming, gasping, blushing- so many emotions while reading. The tension, the banter, the spice! I am absolutely speechless trying to write this.

THE CELLO SCENE. I WILL NEVER RECOVER!

One of the best romances I have read. Period.

I would recommend if you enjoy

*enemies to lovers
*slow burn
* classical music
* Reylo Fanfic

Do yourself a favor and listen to the playlist on Spotify. Beautiful.

THANK YOU SO MUCH JULIE SOTO, FOREVER PUBLISHING AND NETGALLEY FOR THIS ARC!

This was a fast paced enemy to lovers story. I thought it started off slow but it picked up speed pretty quickly. It had a perfect amount of spice done tastefully. I will be recommending!

I absolutely adore Kyle and Ren inspired reads. There were a few moments that I definitely saw it in this book. But this one just fell flat for me.

"Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto is an absolutely adorable story about two classical musicians with undeniable chemistry that will definitely get your heart tempo revved up a few notches.

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies but have had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen's natural ear for music was nurtured by a kind shop owner. After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is—despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. To make matters worse, he arrogantly critiques her performance. The tension between them escalates when Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, a position Xander had secretly coveted for years.

Their existing hostility intensifies, but so does their respect for each other's music, and their onstage chemistry is off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, their blossoming romance is threatened by a publicity stunt that could crush their fragile relationship.

This novel is a well-executed rivals-to-lovers story that incorporates some typical romcom tropes while managing to establish a romance you’ll definitely root for. While Gwen, our main protagonist, makes some questionable decisions and the classical music elements sometimes feel a bit heavy-handed, Gwen and Xander's story is compelling and heartwarming.

"Not Another Love Song" is the perfect summer read for fans of Julie Soto and Reylo fanfic, blending musical passion with romantic tension in a delightful way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Julie Soto's steamy debut romance, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵 and enjoyed her sophomore novel 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 even more.

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯.”

The main characters are Violin/Cello prodigies that are brought together by a Pops Orchestra. I loved how the author used music as a love language in bringing Alex and Gwen together. It was breathtaking. It stole my heart and I read it in two sittings.

MORE:
Reylo-fanfiction-to-trad-publishing
Rivals to Lovers
Third person from Gwen's perspective with interludes from Alex's POV.
Chemistry & heft. Tension & angst.
4 (steam level)
Complemented and challenged
Wishing there was a soundtrack

I originally wanted to give this 4 stars but to me a 4 stars is a love and I didn't really love this - more like a 3 or 3.5 stars. I did enjoy the book, but there were so many things that felt off or unrealistic about this love story. This book had a insta-love component which is just not my favorite - which is a me problem since I prefer a slow burn. I never made it past 9th grade band, but I cannot imagine a professional orchestra moving a girl up to first chair because it was "good publicity". I also just didn't really get butterflies as I read this book. There were parts I really enjoyed and I loved how it ended, some parts just really didn't make sense. Maybe it was the characters age (young 20s) but I just don't think I was the target audience for this book.

5 f*cking stars ⭐️ Julie soto’s best work!

What to expect:
✨ contemporary romance
✨ musicians falling in love
✨ he’s an arrogant, superstar cellist
✨ she’s a wallflower and talented violinist
✨ rivals to lovers
✨ he falls first
✨ insane sexual tension
✨ 4/5 🌶️
✨ found family

My Thoughts:

I am absolutely, positively, unequivocally obsessed!!!! Once I picked this up, I couldn’t put it down! I’m legit in safari in Africa and I was reading this in the damn car during game drives because I was so enthralled!

The MCs, Xander and Gwen are perfection! They are well developed characters with flaws and issues they learn to overcome in this story. And everything about their progression as characters felt natural. I really loved Gwen and wanted the best for her, and I was in love with Xander 💕

The romance was everything! And the sexual tension was to die for! This is one of, if not the best, tension filled stories I’ve ever read! My stomach was fluttering and heart was pounding during so many chapters! The romance was gripping from beginning to end! Bonus, it felt believable. I loved that while Xander and Gwen’s romance is hot and heavy, it was also beautiful and romantic. And while they had some complications, it wasn’t overly or unrealistically complicated. Just enough to make my heart hurt for a little with the knowledge everything will be just fine.

I am obsessed with the music aspect. I don’t know if it’s because I played classic piano since I was 8 and love to sing, but I understood the way music affected them. Gwen and Xander are the definition of soulmates and seeing their love story unfold through music was breathtaking. I just wish I could listen in real life to the music they wrote together.

The spice was spicing! Good tension always makes the spice better. And that was the case here. Every single kiss had me hot and bothered. The way Xander plays Gwen’s body. . . the freaking cello scene!!! 🥵And I loved that these spicy scenes really reflected their deep love and admiration and need for one another. It was intimacy on a whole different level.

I haven’t felt this obsessed about a book in a while. Bravo! Favorite book of 2024!

4.5 stars! ⭐️

Julie Soto writes tension between characters so well. Two musicians who are rivals, in a way. Gwen, who is a violinist for the Manhattan Pops and Xander Thorne, cellist in Gwen’s favorite band who joins the Pops for a season. Xander has no idea who Gwen is until they run into each other when she’s playing at a wedding. Except people at the wedding are calling him…Alex?

They continue to cross paths and connect from there. You get glimpses of Alex’s POV throughout the novel but it’s primarily written from Gwen’s perspective. Alex has always been looking to make a name for himself and Gwen has always been in search of security and stability but they continue to connect over the music.

The tension between them is delicious! Alex is a grump but totally down bad for Gwen. The setting of New York and musicians is intriguing. Seeing the characters really wrestle with their mistakes, regrets, and desires is compelling. However, the story fell apart a little bit at the end for me with the agent/producer.

Overall for the vibes it was a fun book!