Forget Me Not was one of my favorite reads last year so I was so excited to get another book from Julie Soto!

This brings us Gwen and Xander’s story, two string players for the same orchestra. Gwen has long had a crush on Xander, who is a popular musician outside of the orchestra, but once she starts to get to know him on a personal level she’s less impressed. Xander on the other hand never noticed Gwen before, but once he does that poor boy is obsessed.

He had it so bad for her it almost made me sad to read since Gwen just couldn’t see it or trust that it was real. The tension between them was thick and their relationship was intense. The whole book was intense really, I felt a little on edge reading it. The pressure of the orchestra and trying to navigate that complex world, Gwen not knowing who or what to trust, broke my heart.

This is clearly a love letter to music, and while I love music, there were some parts that were a little boring to me. I don’t care that much about sheet music and orchestral arrangements but I think that’s just a me problem.

Overall I think this was a really well written intensely sexy romance and I can’t wait to see where Julie Soto goes from here.

Although the story started off slow for me, it picked up and had me hooked the rest of the way. I loved how the hero was head over heels for the heroine! The chemistry was great. I would definitely recommend this book to others!

Gwen Jackson has been a violinist with the Manhattan Pops for almost 4 years, but she has always been happy to blend into the crowd. After performing at a wedding, Gwen catches the attention of Xander Thorne, a member of her favourite band and recent addition to her orchestra. Gwen and Xander have an undeniably musical connection, but it becomes complicated when Gwen is offered the coveted First Chair position over Xander.

This was such a sweet story! It took me longer than expected to get into this book. I have no musical background so I was a little confused by some terminology in the beginning, but I ended up being enthralled by this love story. I think you will love this book if you are a fan of Ali Hazelwood. The story was so unique and the writing was beautiful. This was my first book by Julie Soto and I am definitely a fan!

What to expect:
🩵 Rivals-to-lovers
🩵 Grumpy x Sunshine
🩵 Workplace Relationship
🩵 Forced Proximity
🩵 Music

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a beautifully written book that had me swooning over Gwen and Alex. Even though there were a lot of orchestral terms that I didn’t quite understand, the story itself was so unique and not your typical love story.

I loved the rivals to lovers aspect between these two classical musicians. The tension between them was off the charts! Who knew playing violin and cello could be so sexy?!

This was the first book I’ve read by Julie Soto and I will definitely be reading her other books!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG has a lot going for it: an enemies to lovers vibe, a grumpy/sunshine character pairing, and some extremely sexy violin and cello duets (which definitely sounds improbable, but believe me here).

I haven’t read many books where both main characters are musicians, and my only true experience with the instruments Gwen and Alex/Xander—the aforementioned enemies turned lovers—play are from my instrumental covers playlist on Spotify, so I imagine it’s difficult to bring that passion to life through words alone, but Julie Soto has a writing style that made me clearly visualize those key scenes, a style that absolutely makes her books worth diving into.

This book will be a huge hit for many, especially those who loved FORGET ME NOT, the author’s previous book (look out for character cameos too!), and books that lean more into New Adult territory.

3.5 stars.

YES! I’ll admit, at the start of this book I was oddly nervous. However, with each page turned I became more enthralled by the story. Alex & Gwen captivated my heart and took me along their journey of love and finding who they want to be. I just adored this book so much

Hello, ‘tis I, here to not so much review, but rave over Julie Soto’s Not Another Love Song.

Because I *loved* this.

The story follows Gwen, an orphan raised by her grandfather who began violin lessons at the age of 11 and plays professionally in the Manhattan Pops orchestra, and Xander Thorne, a rockstar of a cellist who joins the Manhattan Pops and has no idea Gwen exists – until she has to suddenly play the cello at a wedding he’s in.

To say he’s obsessed is an understatement, but things get complicated when Gwen is promoted to first chair violin of the orchestra – a position *he* wanted because, of course, it turns out he’s actually a violin prodigy who has been casually moonlighting as a cellist because he can.

So there’s a rivals vibe here, as well as a grumpy x sunshine situation, but mostly the chemistry between Gwen and Xander is off the damn charts. And Julie Soto’s writing is both a ton of banter-filled, easy-reading fun and gloriously beautiful prose as she masterfully weaves in musical terms – even in (especially in) spicy scenes.

If you are a Reylo person, the dynamics and backstories here will likely seem very familiar (😉), wonderfully reimagined for a contemporary setting, and perfectly executed, and if you read Forget Me Not, then you’ll be very very delighted by a few cameos in this book. But if you have no idea what a Reylo or Forget Me Not is, then no worries at all, you will not be lost!

I absolutely loved this book – it’s an extremely satisfying romance read that’s packed with emotion and a but if angst, that sizzles with delicious tension, and that absolutely delivers on all fronts.

Julie Soto is a STAR! This book about musical prodigies was surprisingly hot and I was HERE for it! Gwen and Alex were honestly so connected and I loved that. There was a lot going on in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the pieces that made this story. And Alex. He is a sweetie and I loved how down bad he was. I also will be thinking about that cello scene for a long while.

Julie Soto writing is my cup of tea, she is the queen at writing chemistry and tension. Both her books so far have had male main characters that are mysterious and aloof, they give so little but say so much in very little words.

She does a great job at immersing you into the world of performing arts, I literally have no knowledge or interest in it but thoroughly enjoyed learning and spending time in their world. How she was able to describe their love using music metaphors and description was so romantic and dreamy, I wish I could hear the music they composed together. I loved how opposite Gwen and Xander were, from how they grew up to their musical education, they couldn't be more different but once they started to jam together none of that matter.

I hope to see this be a movie one day just so I could hear the music

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC.

Wow this book was perfection. The tension was chefs kiss. I wasn’t sure if I’d like a music centric book but don’t let that deter you! It’s got everything!! Looking forward to more by Soto.

This was a sweet story but honestly it took me a while to get through. I’m not sure what it was but it just didn’t quite hold my interest like I expected. I didn’t mind the characters but I didn’t love them or their relationship. Alex felt so hot and cold and his mom issues severely impacted him. Gwen was very naive, I understand a lot came from her lack of family and how she was raised, but she drove me crazy half the time.

Alex’s agent and his step dad were both such crappy characters and I kept waiting for everyone else to see their true selves. I was interested again around 80% but again it didn’t totally grab me.

The spicy scene was perfect though!

3.5 stars

I loved Soto's debut, Forget Me Not, and was beyond excited for an advance copy of Not Another Love Song.

This started out a bit slow, maybe because I don't know much about orchestras? The FMC felt very young and naive but I also liked her? The MMC was harsh and had 2 very distinct personalities (which I know was kinda the point but also idk and it didn't super work)

Xander demanding Gwen to sight read songs was so out of the blue every time it happened when he otherwise ignored her and belittled her abilities to others was very strange but also get what he was trying to prove.

I enjoyed the ending. The third act was as expected tho. This book was good but didn't have the same spark as Soto's first. I'm still looking forward to her next book though.

Thanks to NetGalley & Forever Pub for an advance copy!

A whopping 5 stars and beyond for this lovely reylo fanfic that evolved into a musical knockout.

I don’t know much about playing any sort of instrument, especially anything pertaining to classical music, but Julie made everything so accessible and easy to digest that I was able to dive into these characters. And THESE CHARACTERS?!? Amazing. Gwen 🤩 Alex 😍 Xander 😏 Mabel 🥹

And can we talk about the cover?! Gorgeous! And the fact that it references a certain scene in the book? SUPERB!

I think it’s safe to say that Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me now.

CW/TW: death of loved ones, cancer, toxic relationship, gaslighting

Wow, Julie Soto is definitely an author I am keeping on my reading list, because I have absolutely adored this book. After reading Forget Me Not, I was curious to see if this book would live up to the excitement I had, and I'm glad it did.
This book was simply addicting. It's the kind of book I could easily devour in an evening (which I totally did. The romance between Gwen and Alex was really interesting to play out through also their love of music, but it did feel a little like they went from rival to lovers really fast. Still, I was really rooting for them, and really loved them together.
One of the things that i did question was more in the dynamic of the orchestra, and the whole story of Gwen becoming the first chair so quickly and how realistic that is, and how she doesn't seem to really see the red flags surrounding that. I don't know much about the music world, but there is a part of me that found it a little weird that it didn't seem to raise more eyebrows .
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a really fun read, and I'm really looking forward to reading more from Julie Soto. Definitely an author I'll keep my eyes out for.

I absolutely ADORED this book so much, and it has turned out to be one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far! I adore Gwyn and Xander, and their chemistry is one of the absolute best parts of this book. Their love for each other depicted through their music was so well done and made me tear up at times because it was written so beautifully (like fully started crying during some of the musical scenes)!!
I also LOVED the setting of this book because both of the characters play instruments in an orchestra in NYC, and it was so much fun reading about them composing and then playing on a big stage. Julie truly hit the mark on literally every aspect of this book.
also... Xander being both a hugely famous rock cello player and a sweet man who makes her coffee every morning and writes music about her? Sign me upppp, I wish I could read it again. Please go read this book when it comes out!!!

4.5 stars rounded up. I’ve heard so much hype for this book and for me, it definitely lived up to that hype.

I’m a sucker for a man who’s down bad for his lady right away when it’s done well, and Alex is that man here. He’s emotionally stunted and really kind of sucks at expressing those feelings. It’s funny and endearing because it’s never intended to be mean, he just constantly puts his foot in his mouth when he engages in the way that makes sense to him.

Gwen is struggling to figure out her place and what she truly wants for her future. I’m over a decade older than her character and still don’t know so, girl, I get it. Meanwhile, trying to understand where Alex is coming from all of a sudden and adding navigating the dichotomy of his two lives and all the ways they intertwine with hers adds so many layers to the story.

Both in the time while they’re figuring things out and once they have (until it all falls apart)…it’s all hot. The ‘cello scene’ that is a particularly hyped moment in the bookstagram world—hello cover inspo—delivers. It’s hyped for a reason. The book is spicy-spicy, but never feels overly gratuitous. I feel like Julie Soto found a really good balance and most often the spice is advancing some point of the plot.

I don’t know much about classical music (my fourth grade cello playing days are very, very distantly in my past) but it was easy to get swept up into this world. I have no clue how accurate or likely any of these scenarios in the professional world are, and I like that I don’t have any frame of reference to overthink it. I could just enjoy it as the story flower. (I do know Lorenz is the Scooter Braun of this fictional world and therefore, he sucks.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC/Forever and Gallery Bookshop for the print ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure what to say about this book except that it was beautiful in a way no other book ever has been. I could feel the music as they played, hear the crescendos and the applause as if I was at Carnegie hall in real life. And the tension/ spice was gripping. I wanted everything about this book, minus the excessive number of “I love yous”. I don’t have a passion for music but the next time there’s an orchestra concert near me, I’d love to go and experience this feeling I feel now.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is gorgeous! just absolutely gorgeous. I think it's safe to say that i am a very big fan of Julie Soto now and to be honest i never thought i would be a person who ever read a book with cellos in it but here we are....

Great characters, great plot, great tension and romance.....swoon!

Julie Soto has once again stolen my heart!! This book hooked me from the very beginning and kept me engaged the entire time! I swear her writing was tailor made for me, the tension, the angst, the in depth characters that you can feel straight from the pages. I absolutely devoured this book and am already wanting more and more from her! The connection between these characters was electric, when you truly feel like characters are meant to be together the love story truly does hit different! Prepare to be sick of me when this book releases on July 16 because I will be shouting my love for it from the rooftops!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

What a beautiful music-focused romance! I was a band kid (I KNOW ITS EMBARRASSING I DON’T CARE) and adored glimpsing back into what it was like to be in an orchestra and make music as part of a whole, something I deeply miss every day! It was one of the few times I’ve had an author use words to describe music, and actually felt like they did it justice, since I often find that music is something that can’t be translated into words.

It was fun spice, interesting to explore the question of individual career versus commitment to an ensemble, and always fun to discuss the ethics of forcing musical child prodigies into performance. (JK, I think it’s just fun for the music nerds out there like me.)

I kept trying to figure out how in the HELL are we going to wrap this up with what’s left?! And do not worry, Julie Soto figures it out perfectly, with no one having to sacrifice everything, but still learning to let go and take scary leaps.

Everyone go read this book and then also go see your local live symphony!

Emojis to Describe This Book: 🎻🎶😘🥂🫶🏻