I feel so lucky to have gotten an early of Not Another Love Song; I enjoyed every single moment of it! Enemies-to-lovers is a favorite trope of mine and the chemistry in this book was on fire. The love story in this book was very believable and I loved the small twist in plot too. Also, this book made me want to get tickets to my local symphony. I will be looking into this! Our library has preordered this book - I can't wait to put it in readers' hands.

Thank you Forever Publishing for my gifted copy of Not Another Love Song By Julie Soto

You know those AITAH posts where the verdict is Everyone Sucks Here? That's unfortunately how this book felt. Every character needed 100 stern talking too.

I did love the beginning of the book. I loved the Rivals to Lovers aspect and Gwen's overall back story. I loved the side characters (Jacob) and all the mentions of Ama.

It's heavy on the music scene (which like that's on me for expecting otherwise). Aside from playing trumpet in 6th grade, I have 0 musical capabilities so I struggled extra hard through those parts.

If you're huge into music this one would be GREAT for you. You likely can connect to the characters more because of that background.

Violins & Victories
Cellos & Chemistry
Angst & Arpeggios
Subways & Sizzle

This book was everything. For me, it is a worry how a 2nd book will be after a debut was a win. This didn't disappoint. The story showcased music but did so in a way that made you feel even if you didn't know everything that was written about. It drew you in and held you. The way the love story unfolded was perfect. There was banter, heat, conflict---all the things! All the very best things! I cried, screamed, and laughed throughout.

The secondary characters and resolutions were written so well. I felt for characters who were perhaps a bit morally grey---all but two who once you read this book, you will understand.

This book cemented Julie Soto as an auto buy author for me.

I could not put this book down! The TENSION. The WANT. The HORNY. It was POTENT. It was HOT. It was EVERYTHING.

Julie Soto, you have done it again. I am a music lover already, but I've never been so invested in classical music or an orchestra. I wish we could hear Thorne and Roses play and listen to Alex and Gwen's original work. I am INVESTED. Why aren't they real? *cries*

I also must mention that cello scene 100000000000% lived up to the hype. Wowowowow. I can't wait to have this cover on my shelf for the rest of time.

Apart from the romance, I really enjoyed both Gwen and Alex's individual journeys. I think Gwen's struggles are very relatable - wanting to please everyone, being uncertain regarding what she wants for her future, wanting stability and a steady income, etc. On the other hand, Alex has essentially created an alternative persona via Xander, and he's trying to balance that with his true self. I enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the story, and loved where they are at in the Epilogue!

Lastly, I LOVED the cameos from the Forget Me Not crew! It was so fun to see some glimpses of Ama and Elliott. Just thriving and taking their business coast to coast!

Overall, I highly recommend Not Another Love Song. Definitely will be one of my favorites of 2024!

This book immediately became a favorite. The language and relationship is handled elegantly and evocatively. I know next to nothing about the music world, but it was explained so well, I never felt lost. The last line of the book is one of my favorites of all time.

I have read several Reylo inspired novels and while it's a dynamic that generally works for me, I can't say it did here at all. The author's note at the beginning of this book might have done a disservice by setting this up as some sort of rival musicians-to-lovers story, a description that had me totally on board. However, I don't really think that theme is borne out in the novel - it's more instant-love with some musical fated mates thrown in? Neither of which really work for me in a contemporary romance setting. And while I get that the Alex v. Xander personality schism is likely a direct reflection of Kylo v. Ben Solo, I don't think it worked really well here at all. Instead of a tortured, brooding hero with a deeply troubled past, it seems that instead we got an enigma instead of a personality, and an overly intense, whiny, obsessive enigma at that. And Gwen's naivete really grated on me. I can't say that I felt any chemistry or real love between these characters, which to me is sort of the whole point of reading a romance.

I do think the writing is good, there are some lovely passages, and admittedly the spice is very hot, hence the 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc! All opinions my own.

I was immediately drawn in to this story. I'm not a musician, but the way Soto writes about it makes me want to go listen to classical music. I literally could not put this book down once I got into the story. The spice in this was so good! Also the chemistry between Gwen & Xander (Alex) was so so good. I couldn't get enough of this book.

Absolutely wonderful! I picked up this book because Julie was doing an author panel with another author I love, Abby Jimenez. Her personality was so lovely and fun. This book did not disappoint. I also love music though I don't connect as much with the orchestra. That really doesn't matter though because the passion is all there. Watching the relationship being explored through music is a whole other level of spicy! I'm looking forward to reading more Julie Soto books.

🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻
𝐴𝑅𝐶 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑛𝑔
𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑡𝑜
4.5/5 💫
🌶️🌶️

•𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝
•𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧
•𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐌𝐂
•𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲

Thank you to Netgalley and author for an early copy of this wonderful Kylo Ren / Rey fanfic novel. I squealed with joy and anticipation when I downloaded it onto my kindle. I thought Forget Me Not would be hard to top…I was wrong 😬

Not only do I love her writing style, but learned a good amount about life in a famous orchestra and concerning themes of music in general. Things seemed a bit melodramatic, but that’s just show business, right?

The tension. The music. The angsty slow burn. The explosions. Butttttt that cello scene? All I gotta say. Go read this now 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

“𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.”

Safe to say Julie Soto is now an auto buy author for me. I was hooked when I heard this was inspired by a love of classical music and was billed as Reylo fanfic. (That’s Adam Driver/Daisy Ridley for the non Star Wars fans lol). I was DELIGHTED by the writing. It was just so sensual, so captivating. You are there, in Carnegie Hall, being swept away in the music. As an elder millennial I was skeptical about a romance involving young 20 somethings, but found myself easily wrapped up in their explosive love and the lyrical nature of this story. The subplots were delightfully stressful and schemey in a way that only helped the story. My only desire was more dialogue and more of the side characters- because both were great!

Obsessed! I am not a musical person but this book ensnared me immediately. I loved the tension and slow build of the back story. I thought the limited use of dual POV was very successful. A little angsty at times, but believable conflict and fantastic steam!

“It’s simple really,” he said. “It’s about a cello who fell in love with a violin.”🎻

Loved this beautifully written love story about two classically trained musicians “ Gwen & Alex(Zander) “ 😍whose love of music 🎶 connects them in more way then one!
This book just sucked me in from the beginning and I enjoyed it so much!!

Loved the Rival to Lovers , the angst , the spice 😮‍💨was perfect 😍( who would of the thought the cello would be such a sexy🥵 instrument 🎻 lol 😂 ) how it was set NYC , the family drama, the music references.
It was just a perfectly executed love story that had me wanting more!
Bravo 👏🏻 Just Perfecto!! 🤌🏻🩷🎶🎻🎶🎻💗

Thank you Netgalley and Julie Soto for the opportunity to read this ARC!

4.50 ⭐️

I must confess, I wasn’t a huge fan of Julie Soto’s debut—too insta-lovey for my taste. However, the beautiful cover of her latest book convinced me to give her a second chance, and I’m so glad I did! From the very first page, I was hooked. The writing was exquisite, and even as someone who knows next to nothing about music, I found myself utterly engrossed in that aspect of the story.

Reasons to pick up Not another love song:-
- Unique classical music setting
- Enemies to Lovers romance
- Electrifying romantic tension
- Well-developed and relatable main characters
- Engaging supporting characters and found family dynamics
- Some very fun cameos from Forget me Not
- That COVER (and also the fact that it’s an actual scene from the book 👀)

What I Loved:
- Main Characters: Our protagonists are still finding themselves and learning, which made them incredibly relatable. The supporting cast—Jacob, Declan, Mabel, Mei, and Ava—provided a sweet found family that I wanted to join inside the pages!
- Romantic Tension: The romance was electrifying and full of delicious tension, keeping me on the edge of my seat up until almost 40%. Julie Soto has an incredible talent for building romantic tension with very few words exchanged between the main characters.
- Music Aspect: The classical music setting was unique and integral to the story. Thornes and Roses, Alex and Gwen’s private sessions, and their performances at Carnegie Hall were some of my absolute favorite parts. These elements made the story feel vibrant and emotionally resonant.

Why It's Not a Five-Star Read for me:-
- Romantic Development: While the romance was spicy and full of tension, it lacked some of the swoony moments that would have made it perfect.
- Third Act Breakup: I’m usually not a fan of third act breakups, and in this case, it felt unnecessary and dragged the story down a bit. While I understand the need for conflict, I wish it had been handled better.

Despite a couple of minor issues, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this book for its unique setting, the music, and romantic tension. Julie Soto’s latest will definitely keep you hooked from start to finish!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the Author for sending me an arc for reviewing!

I loved Julie Soto’s debut novel and even though I knew this was about musicians I guess I didn’t expect it to be so focused on the technical side of music and so detailed about the subject. I feel like the main characters were not the focus of the book with the depth this went into about cellos and violins and reading music etc. I will definitely give this author another try if she writes a new book but sadly this wasn’t for me.

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

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto has been my most anticipated romance read of the year for so long that it feels surreal now to have actually read it. It like that feeling when you are a kid on Christmas looking around at all the shredded wrapping paper and wondering what now? This book was like Christmas morning to me and now I have an empty hole in my life because it’s over. All that to say, I really loved this book.

It follows Gwen and Alex, two musicians who are both incredibly talented and find themselves sitting across from each other as members of an orchestra. Sparks begin to fly between them when they realize how compatible they are music-wise. But emotions aren’t as easy to handle as strings when their two very different worlds start to collide.

As a former band nerd, this book played directly to my music loving soul. I loved all the scenes where they would practice and listening to classical music while reading this really amplified the overall experience. I thought the tension between the characters was perfect and the lead up to the spice was top notch. Speaking of spice, this book had me fanning my face more than once.

I loved the growth the main characters went on. They start the book kind of in a weird state of uncertainty and they don’t know what they want but the more the story unfolds, the more they find their path. This book was originally fanfiction and I think you can really see that with parts of this but that made me love it even more. I love when things are a little over the top.

I also loved the cameos of the Forget Me Not characters! I missed Ama and Elliot so getting to see them again was amazing!

I loved this so much and can’t wait to read what this author writes next. I think I still loved Forget Me Not just a little more but this one was fantastic too.

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was everything. Every. Thing.
Never in my life did I think a cello could be so sexy, but boy oh BOY did Julie Soto introduce me to a whole new world.
Having been a big fan of Forget Me Not, I knew that this book was going to be amazing, too, but I didn't realize how much I would truly love it.

To start, the chemistry between Gwen and Alex was palpable from the start. I was instantly in love with them and was hoping for their HEA the whole time. The tension, the push and pull, the banter... all of it complemented the dynamic between them SO well. Sometimes, things like this can feel repetitive in romance books, a literary tool used to just push the story along rather than develop it in any real way, but this book was not the case. Everything felt intentional, and I ate up every second.

I also just really loved Gwen and Alex individually. Their characters, though different in many ways, felt so relatable to me. We may live in different worlds, but I understood their struggles and inner turmoils on a level that made them feel really personal and real. It is always a treasure when an author can weave stories that resonate deeply. Because of this, NALS will be a forever favorite.

Oh, and the spice?! Holy shit. Julie is a QUEEEEEEEEN of tension and scenes that make you blush and I will be thinking of them for a long time thank you very much.

Overall, this is an automatic favorite for me and Julie has kept her title as an auto buy author for me! Give me anything, bb, and I'll read it.

What a beautiful, angsty romance! Not Another Love Song is an addicting read. Gwen Jackson is offered the job of a lifetime, to be the youngest first chair in the Manhattan Pops orchestra, much to the criticism of fellow musician Xander Thorne. But the closer these two work together, the more their connection creates breathtaking melodies. First I loved having just small snippets of Xander throughout—I love dual pov, but having just a small handful of chapters be him was so effective and dramatic. And Xander is so broody and just so sexy. And Gwen is so relatable and easy to root for. She’s brave and watching her find herself was so satisfying. And the romance! It is a romantic, organic enemies to lovers and I loved the dialogue and the steam and just the balance of it all. Truly a five star read!

Julie Soto has a magical way of bringing emotion to life on the page. I loved reading Forget Me Not earlier this year, and in Not Another Love Song she does it masterfully again while also bringing us into the world of professional orchestra musicians. We get drawn into following two incredible string musicians as they fight for center stage, go through the emotional journey of finding love and make music together.
This book deserves a standing ovation! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

Thank you for an early 20s FMC that wasn't...insufferable? I know poor Gwen went through a lot and maybe that's part of why she seems more mature than many other early 20s FMCs. But I loved her. And her relationships with Mabel and Jacob.

That first time in Alex's studio is officially the modern Ghost pottery equivalent.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Not Another Love Song Early. Time to listen to some cello and violin duets.

From the moment I saw this cover, I knew I would love this book! Gwen is a musical prodigy who has taken the less formal route to pursue her musical passions. Xander is a musical prodigy with a rich history of musicians in his family and a long list of musical accolades, In a not-so-meet-cute moment, Gwen runs into Xander who gives harsh feedback about her performance. While the two struggle to figure out their feelings for one another, chemistry makes it hard for them to stay away. This enemies-to-lovers romance is steamy and fun and will keep the reader locked in until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the growth of both MCs in the novel. This novel is perfect for fans of enemies to lovers, with contemporary romance, and a bit of spice. One of my favorite reads so far this year!