Julie Soto can make anything sexy! Whether that be florists or cellists. I’m so happy that I got to read an arc of Not Another Love song. It was such a sexy fun read.

And while I will be the first to admit it did feel incredibly wattpad-y, I still had a super enjoyable time. I’m a stan of a reylo fanfic. There were so many steamy sexy moments sandwiched between their enemies to lovers plot. And I was completely here for every second of it. Julie Soto is a genius.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.75/5 ⭐️

“Maybe she liked love songs after all. As long as she was playing them with Alex.”

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

After finishing Julie Soto’s Forgot Me Not earlier this month, I had a feeling Not Another Love Song was making her a likely candidate for my favorite authors list and reading this story definitely confirmed that. Not Another Love Song tells the story of Alex (Xander) and Gwen, two musicians trying to find themselves through music and through it, finding each other. This book is simple but lovely, and the music the characters play literally leaps off the pages. The tension is palpable and SOOOO good. I loved the cameos of all the major characters from Forget Me Not without it overshadowing the rest of the story and how in general, Soto made a beautiful story of two broken (often unbeknownst to themselves) people wandering through life, making mistakes, and hiding behind safe and comfortable walls, breaking free and learning to be their own people and themselves together. I’m really looking forward to more from Soto going forward!

(She actually announced Rose in Chains the morning of me writing this review!!! How cool is that???)

-0.75 ⭐️ for Alex’s initial attitude due to the nature of how he handled his bigger, nastier emotions and the fact that though I loved the tension, it sometimes felt a teensy bit obsessive and early on, like a HUGE 180 on Alex’s part

4.5 ⭐️
I was honestly so scared to read this cause it’s in 3rd pov and I usually stay away from books that are in 3rd pov but this book was so good.

Julie always knows how to keep me captivated in the way she tells her stories .

Alex and Gwen were so hot together… the stuff this man would say but most importantly he’s always encouraging her to be the best and showing who she truly is.
The chemistry and the banter were Elite!!! Alex was secretly a softie for Gwen and I loved that so much.

I'll start this by saying if you love this book don't read my review. Don't attack me, this is just my opinion.

I am an Ama Torres hater first and foremost and every time in this book that she popped up she kept reminding me why I dislike her so much. I think she's very manipulative and always gets whoever she wants and doesn't care that she walks over people or puts them in uncomfortable situations. Like for example, she's a wedding planner that didn't read the contract that she hired a Violinist and Pianist. When she realized that Gwen doesn't play the cello, which is what the bride wanted, she forced Gwen to play an instrument she hasn't been trained to play. I think it was so shitty. AGAIN, my opinion.

I'll continue by saying that there is definitely a disconnect when it comes to Julie Soto books for me. At least in the beginning, she just runs with it you don't get any character descriptions until later on in the book. So when you start, if you don't know this used to be a reylo fan fiction and you've only seen a black and white cover in your kindle, you won't know what they look like.

I personally was bored halfway, some of the smut scenes were okay. I thought it was kind of icky that he was on the phone with someone while he was having sex and like thy get into an argument while his inside of her, and I guess the icky part for me is like they are fighting and then it said something like "he kept thrusting inside of me" or "I could still feel him inside of me" and it just took me out of the VERY valid argument they were having.

I also think it's icky when he said that "he turned hazel into a lesbian when we were sixteen". It's not funny.

This is my last chance reading a Julie Soto book, nothing personal. No hate, they are just not for me.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is an ode to music and the people that make it. Gwen and Xander both musical proteges clash in a bid for the dream job. There's orchestra politics, flashy performances, and even some spicy music making. At times the pacing and the characters felt rushed, but I found myself still quite invested. A unique read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for an early book review copy of Not Another Love Song!

Not Another Love Song is being released July, 16th 2024-mark your calendar!

I loved this book more than I loved Forget Me Not. I read it in April and I am still thinking of it and have ordered a hard copy of the book. Julie Soto is a master and a genius and I love all her characters.

I can't wait to read this again and again and again!

This was really fun! I know nothing about classical instruments, but you could tell the author did a ton of research and has a passion for it.

First off: it’s written in the third person. I know this is important to many readers!

It’s 90% single POV, and a couple chapters are sprinkled in from the MMC’s perspective. I wish he was spread out more evenly throughout. Without his POV sooner, it does feel like he goes from mean-as-hell to obsessed with Gwen. He’s just straight dunking on her and then all of a sudden thinks they’re musically on the same level?

Gwen plays the violin and Xander/Alex the cello. They meet at a wedding where she’s been roped in last minute to play. He’s a groomsmen. They also work at the same orchestra, but he’s never noticed her before the wedding. Because she ends up having to wing it and play the cello due to a mixup.

Just dispel reality when it comes to Gwen’s trajectory and enjoy the ride. She jumps from fourth chair to first when the current first chair retires. But she’s only been at the orchestra for a few years and isn’t formally trained.

It’s steamy, set in NYC, and there’s lots of side characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

4.5 - “Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it for the rest of your life.”

I enjoyed Forget Me Not when I read it last year, but I really loved this one even more. The tension and buildup is just so good.

Gwen is such a great protagonist who is so passionate about being a violinist. Being offered first chair of The Manhattan Pops is a dream, but she immediately feels inferior from biting remarks from Xander, cellist and part of her favorite band Thorne and Roses. He comes off as aloof and grumpy, but as the story goes it’s clear that he sees something inspiring in Gwen. Their story is so compelling and I loved the drama of the orchestra and how it's hard for both Gwen and Xander to navigate the politics of it all. It's difficult for Gwen as she feels used as just a young, attractive woman to sell tickets instead of being respected for her talent as a violinist,

Their chemistry is written so well and their relationship stays tense until it snaps. Gwen makes Xander feel alive playing music in a way he hasn’t in a long time, and he wants to everything with her. While the majority of this story is told from Gwen’s perspective, there are cello suite interludes from Xander’s perspective that offer so much background. Since Xander seems standoffish, having these small chapters from his point-of-view add so much to his character development. He feels this connection to Gwen that has hasn't gelt with anyone before. And it's not only on a romantic level, but also on a musical level. He finds himself just wanting to be with her and do everything with her, and this comes across as such a crucial moment for him.

I just loved this so much. It felt so realistic and their conflict genuine. I was so invested in their relationship that I read this through in one sitting. Do not miss this one when it comes out.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is a spicy, interesting read! The chemistry and romance between the two characters was great; the dialogue and plot overall kept me engaged. I didn’t want to put it down!

I enjoyed it; I didn’t love it. The Kylo-Ren/Rey fanfic caught my attention, but then I realized that I don’t really like the character of Kylo-Ren. Xander is definitely not as problematic as Kylo-Ren, but he is selfish and doesn’t think of others. It made the story interesting, but I didn’t love him as a character.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a fun, spicy, engaging read! I would have loved to hear some of the music they were described as creating as well!

I mostly enjoyed this book. However a lot of it seemed so unrealistic. I’m not a music person but this doesn’t seem like it was completely well researched. I just don’t know how I feel about it still. I wanted to love it but I just didn’t.

Although I’m not musically talented, I’ve always been drawn to music and I absolutely ate this up. Gwen’s long time passion was fun to read about and I appreciated the detail the author put into the bits about music. The only thing I didn’t love about Gwen was that it felt like she was setting herself up for failure through most of this book, which was frustrating at points but still entertaining.
Xander took me a minute to warm up to, but I ended up enjoying his character despite the fact that he was kind of a music snob.
I liked how slow of a burn this was and I think this level of spice is my own personal sweet spot, not too much and not too little.
Overall I enjoyed this and I like that Julie Soto involves weddings in the two books of hers I’ve read now.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was really fantastically written. The characters were compellingly written, and honestly, I was worried the Reylo would be too obvious, but the characters were super well-written and fleshed out. I got sucked up into their world quite quickly.

This romance, while fairly quick, was very fun and felt very grounded in the characters. I usually struggle with how third-act breakups are written, but I thought this one was very well done. The characters felt drawn to their obligations and had to struggle to find what they really wanted to get back together.

I thought Gwen and Alex's communication was very well-written, as was their communication with their mentors throughout the book. Family dynamics, both biological and chosen, were prevalent throughout this book and were written very realistically, making them complicated and important to the characters' growth.

I also found the smut very well written in this book; it was very emotional for the characters and didn't feel gratuitous.

I almost wish there was more to the story because the ending was a bit abrupt.

4.5 stars - rounded up! This book completely surpassed my expectations. I've read such amazing reviews about Julie Soto's previous book, Forget Me Not, so I was eager to check out her newest release when I spotted it on NetGalley. Apparently, it's based on the author's Reylo (Kylo Ren X Rey Skywalker) fanfic. While I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan, the premise intrigued me, and I ended up loving it. The yearning, the tension, the complex family dynamics, not to mention the incredible orchestral covers referenced throughout — the whole story was simply fantastic.

If I were to nitpick (and this is a very minor gripe), Alex's character (based on Kylo Ren) occasionally veered a tad too much into moody and entitled territory, which is similar to his Star Wars persona but may not translate perfectly into a real-world context. That said, I still ate it up! This is VERY spicy but you could skip past the spicy scenes altogether and the story would still be great. I'm definitely planning to pick up Forget Me Not later this year. Huge thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing an eArc of Not Another Love Song. Pub day is July 16th!

5/5 - WOW. This book was…everything. I quite literally could not put it down. I was in a bit of a reading slump, and @juliesotowrites brought me back and reminded me how powerful a well written, poignant and perfectly passionate love story can be! This is a top favorite book of the year so far, and has a sure spot on my all time favorites shelf!

I loved everything about this story - two classical music prodigies in their twenties, from (mostly) very different backgrounds, navigating the competitive world of music in NYC. The way these two connect emotionally, musically and physically is out of this world.

The passionate build up was so well done - tension, angst, lust, fierce competition. When I say the chemistry between Alex and Gwen is palpable, I meant it. And the lyrical, no, MUSICAL way Soto writes their connection was truly magnificent. You feel EVERYTHING.

Soto is a beautiful writer, and while this is heavily a love story it’s also about independence, growing up, finding yourself in the world, grief, complicated family dynamics, and big dreams. The dialogue is fabulous, the musical references sparkle and I simply fell in love with these characters, their journey and this world. The character cameos from Forget Me Not were also a treat!

Thank you to @netgalley, Forever and Julie Soto for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review. Out July 16th so grab the pre-order now!

I felt like Gwen was really naive and the fact that she got first chair after such a short amount of time at Pop's is so unrealistic. I also didn't like Alex/Xander he was so manipulative and always putting Gwen down telling her that she sucked at playing. There was so much insta-love too!!

This book was so unbelievably good. As an orchestra nerd, a reylo with a Kylo saber tattoo, and a musical theatre person… this was everything to me. Their romance was top tier, the writing was impeccable; and the vibes were so good. It felt like the author recreated my dream romance story from the deepest abyss of my mind. Obsessed!

I am in love with this book.

This is the first book I have ever read from Julie Soto but I’ve heard so many great things about her writing and I’m so glad to see that they weren’t wrong! This story had me in tears at some parts simply because I found it to be so beautiful. Great pacing with fantastic characters and character development and I am honestly feeling a little sad that it’s over. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters. I will definitely be reading every book that Julie releases from now on. Adding her to my favorite authors list.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves music and romance. 5/5 ⭐️

This was one of my most anticipated reads after loving Forget Me Not last year, and Not Another Love Story did not disappoint! I loved the tension between the characters & felt the rivalry between the two. Love the banter & connection these two had & the setting being an orchestra was really enjoyable.

This is the second book I've read by Julie Soto and I hav not been disappointed! A spicy romance novel about a violinist and a cellist?! Yesssss please. I feel like maybe we could have done without the third act break up, but other then that this book was a masterpiece.

A musical masterpiece of romance and rivalry. 🎵

You'll Love This If You're Into:
* rivals to lovers
* grumpy x sunshine
* A little dash of smutty fun
* vivid and emotionally charged writing
* Underdog FMCs

Characters: ★★★★★

Plot Progression: ★★★★★

Writing Style: ★★★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Memorability: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★

Thoughts: UNFORGETTABLE

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is an absolute gem that had me hooked from the first page. Julie Soto has a remarkable talent for creating vibrant, palpable worlds, and she didn’t disappoint with this one. I’ve never read a book about professional classical musicians before that I have actually enjoyed.

I felt like I was right there with Gwen and Xander, hearing the music play and feeling the tension build.

Gwen and Xander were perfectly crafted characters to me. Gwen, with her insecurities and people-pleasing nature, was so relatable. She’s the self-taught violinist who doesn’t see her own brilliance, and her journey of self-discovery and standing up for herself was fun to explore. Xander, on the other hand, appears arrogant and confident, but, as the story unfold, his true passion and vulnerability shine through. The chemistry between them was electric, and the romance was torturous...the cover really is a good hint at what is inside the pages.

The musical backdrop was not just a setting but a character in itself. Soto’s descriptions of music were so vivid that I could almost hear the symphonies. The way music was used to convey sexual tension and emotional depth was breathtaking. As a classically trained musician, I often find books about or with music in them cringey. But this felt like the author did much more research or had more knowledge than the first page of Google could tell her, and I appreciated that. Every musical thought seemed so reasonable and intentional, and I really enjoyed those moments in the book.

I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end, which gave insight into the inspiration behind the story. It added a personal touch that made me appreciate the book even more.

This book is a binge-worthy, emotionally charged read that you won’t want to put down.

If you love romance, music, and characters you can’t help but root for, take care of yourself and grab Not Another Love Song ASAP!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with this amazing book's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions.