I loved Julie Soto's first book and their Rights & Wrongs series was okay, if not amateur in nature. Finding out that this work was originally her first attempt at Reylo fanfic and had to be shopped so extensively did not deter me from wanting to read this story. Reading the first set of reviews of early ARCs on Goodreads was a little unsettling, however, I decided to go in reading this not expecting the next great American romance, but what it was, a Reylo inspired music rivals-to-???? story with a cartoon cover, as is the norm these days. No one should be out here giving Tessa Bailey 5 stars, and yet here they are.

The story and pacing are pretty good. All in all, romances about musicians that heavily feature describing performances with words tend to be cheesy, in my opinion. It's so hard to get me to feel moved by a musical performance with words. I found a fan-made Spotify playlist that featured most of the songs mentioned in this story, which was really cool until it was missing many of the others. If Julie Soto had included a playlist in the book I would have been absolutely tickled. Returning to the songs after reading it made it feel 10x cooler.

Things I enjoyed:
-That we've met these characters in Forget Me Not!!! I loooooove when authors do this.
That the FMC wasn't immediately the most amazing, talented, jaw-dropping violin talent. She had to work at it.
-The friendships she has are really sweet (I hope Jacob is Finn and Declan is Poe and Mei is Rose)
-Mabel (Luke???), I love a rough mentor who has multiple connections that are revealed throughout the story.

Things I didn't enjoy:
-The cover, I'm sorry Julie, PLEASE, these covers look so cheap. I'm trying so hard to not judge a book by its cover but you keep making it so hard. I wouldn't have picked up either of your books based off of the cover had I not already ready your work on Ao3.
-Music puns during sexy scenes (LAAAAAME)
-Insta-love as soon as they hook up (boring)
-I couldn't really figure out who the villain was? It kept shifting, and I was constantly trying to figure out who was safe and who could be trusted.
- The constant shifting of the MMC's name. It was often difficult to follow.

All in all, it was a solid read for me. I'll definitely be eager to read future works by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think the idea of the story was so good, and I love a good "she falls first, he falls harder."

Not surprisingly giving its Reylo beginnings, the FMC is oh-so naive and special. The MMC is tall, dark, brooding, and manipulative. At no point was I attracted to this man.

I also thought there might be a twist at some point but nope, it was just... exactly what we were told from the first few chapters. The villains felt painfully Saturday morning cartoon style.

Mostly, this book just felt completely unrealistic. I don't need my contemporary romance to be totally realistic, but there's a certain point at which it starts taking me out of the story and this was it for me.

The spice was steamy and well written, though! That cello scene...

I am unwell. Julie Soto absolutely killed it once again. I finished this book almost a week ago and I can not stop thinking about it. The tension is essentially it's own character, and I have never been more interested in string instruments and orchestras in my life. Gwen and Xander and the cello scene, I will never be the same. I adored watching him chase her, it was sweet and a little desperate, almost frantic. His need to have her in his life was palpable. Gwen was understandably hesitant with her career at stake, but when she comes around, the chemistry is explosive. I cannot express enough how much I loved these two and this book.

Not Another Love Song
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🥹😍🔥💓😫🎻🌶️ The words are coming lol still processing… I LOVED this book
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I kept seeing great reviews so I was really looking forward to reading this one and it did not disappoint! A cello playing god posting thirst traps sign me up! I don’t have a musical bone in my body so I was in awe of the characters musical abilities and really captivated by it. Julie Soto wrote so beautifully that it felt like the music was floating around outside my head even though half the time (okay most of the time lol) I had no idea the sounds she was describing. I really liked her writing style, she reminds me of Ali Hazelwood who I love! And I mean honestly the cover alone was giving me goosebumps the longer I looked at it lol Why is it that every time Alex was sitting and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees I was blushing, what’s wrong with me?! 😂
🎼
The majority of this book is single POV. We hear from Gwen who honestly left me really frustrated sometimes. The solution to her problem seemed obvious to me so I struggled to feel sympathetic toward her at times. Her thought process about her career bugged me, but what I loved was that it wasn’t bad writing in my opinion, we just had a main character who I think grew up without the support system she needed and her true role model was a little callous and fogged up her thinking. We do get a second POV, but it’s sprinkled in. I wish we would have heard from Alex just as much! And hello spice! So ya’ll, do we think Shakespeare was full of shit? Is music the food of love? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I have Forget Me Not on my shelf thanks to a book bestie and I am really looking forward to it now!! I also love the mention of Lindsey Stirling because I love her Christmas music!
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Thank you so much to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Forever Publishing for this e-arc. Not Another Love Song comes out July 16th so mark your calendars!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Not Another Love Song. Gwen is trying to find her way as a violinist but suffers from imposter syndrome. She has no idea just how gifted she is. Even after she’s offered the position of first chair with the Manhattan Pops, she continues to doubt how deserving she is of the role, everyone else’s reactions, and what she really wants for her career as a musician.

I loved that there are low-key crossovers with Julie’s first book, Forget Me Not. You don’t have to have read that book to enjoy this one, but it’s fun to have little cameos!

By the end, I was really rooting for Gwen to find her voice and decide what the future looked like for her!

If you’re looking for a book with musical influences, some spice, a completely believable plot, and complex characters, look no further.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my personal opinions only.

LOVEDDDDDD!!!! I was so excited when I got approved for this arc because I loved Forget Me Not by Julie Soto. This book might honestly be a smidge better too 😮. I absolutely loved the relationship between Xander and Gwen! They were so real to me. Everything about their relationship was so fun (except for that one part 😑) and their chemistry was so great. I loved the plot too. It was so interesting to learn about orchestras and symphonies as well. We also got to catch a glimpse of Ama and Elliot so I cheered for that! I'm so excited about what Julie Soto is gonna write next. I love her books so much! If you loved Forget Me Not, I would definitely recommend this! It's also really captivating and you will 100% get sucked in as soon as you pick up the book! So, if you're also looking for a fast and fun read for the beach, this is a great one!

3.5/4 stars

I really wanted to love this book, especially because it was so hyped on Bookstagram and Booktok, unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype for me, not to say I didn't enjoy the book - I did but just not as much as I anticipated too!

We follow Gwen and Alex through their musical careers all while falling in love with each other.

If you don't have a music background or have never read music before you may not understand a lot of the music jargon. Luckily, I was able to follow along as I studied music in school.

The conflict was really immature in my opinion, and I really didn't enjoy that a lot of the characters life decisions were made by secondary characters in the book (Alex + Ava I'm looking at you two!!)

I felt that Alex and Gwens' relationship was a little insta-lovey while having a lot of communication issues.

What I did love about Not Another Love Song:
• Mabel <3
• The musical growth Gwen went through (YOU DESERVE ALL THE PROMOTIONS IN THE WORLD)
• Watching Gwen become more confident in herself
• The found family that Mabel provided for everyone
• The SMUT
• The music

Although this book wasn't what I was expecting, I would still recommend reading this book if you're looking for a quick love story, with lots of smut, a happy ending with found family and if you enjoy reading music!

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Was this rating a surprise? Not really, no. Fanfic or otherwise, I am a ride or die Julie Soto fan. I absolutely loved Forget Me Not. But did I somehow love this book more than Forget Me Not? Yep. Yes. Now that. That's a SURPRISE.

I want to say musicians aren't really my thing, but I think even not knowing the terminology or being super engrossed in the music industry, this book resonated so much on the theme of creativity itself. There is a lot of the story undercurrent here that talks about creativity being marketed to eff-all, and how creatives are resorting to catering to the masses instead of creating just for the need to do so, just because there is a niggling in their brain that needs to come out and be expressed somehow.

And that's what I related to the most. Not the music (though honestly, after THAT CELLO SCENE, I can definitely see the benefits of jamming sessions hint hint wink wink), and certainly not the toxic greed of the managers/agents. (The Taylor Swift allusion did make me giggle a bit, not gonna lie).

Lord almighty, that got heavy real quick, right? I did NOT think this book would get this heavy!

But let's talk about the actual romance, shall we?

I loved loved loved LOVED Gwen and Alex. There was definitely a pull of attraction between them, and it was fun watching their banter and general interactions. The tension was absolutely palpable, and every single time they played in front of each other during concerts or even in practices, I felt like the crowds watching them pretty much just got pregnant because of how much sexual energy they were bringing out as they watched each other play their parts. I may not be the biggest fan of string instruments, but hey, Alex can definitely play me like a cello and I wouldn't mind one bit.

Don't even get me started on the spice scenes. Plural. Forget Me Not had its charm and it definitely had its spice, but phew. Not Another Love Song was on a different tier entirely. There wasn't just spice. There was MEMORABLE SPICE. The cello scene will forever live rent-free in my head. Which is going to be absolutely terrible and great, especially when my morning work commutes always take me past a music store...with a cello displayed at the window.

And the last line? It ate. IT ATE.

Frigging loved this book.

I never knew a Reylo Fan Fiction could be so fun. This enemies to lovers romance had me smiling the entire time. The banter and sexual tension was great. I never knew a violin and cello could be so hot.

Ahhh this book was just as wonderful as the first. Absolutely adored the characters and really connected with them. Julie Soto did it again!!

A sweeping, sexy romance with thought-provoking discourse. I loved the way the author went into the depths of character with both the main and love interest. The musical aspect added an interesting piece even though it wasn’t my favorite part. Overall a great read and full and beautifully developed romantic read..

this one was so fun!

the plot was a little out there but I enjoyed reading this one a ton! julie soto captured the tension and chemistry and intimacy so, so well. it was all so palpable, i was really in it with them.

thank u net galley for the arc<3

Julie Soto never disappoints. This book was adorable and spicy. I loved the cameo from characters we know and love from Forget Me Not. I loved the musician aspect too, it felt unique and refreshing. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you Forever Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!! I've heard so many good things about Julie Soto's books and this did not disappoint. This book was so good! Both Xander and Gwen were characters I cared for and became found of immediately. I also loved the side characters and the sense of found family that was able to be created in such a short amount of time. I flew through this book and had butterflies at all the interactions. The passion and tension was SO palpable and HOT, but there were also a lot of heartfelt moments (I was definitely swooning at some points). I loved that this story is set in NYC. There was definitely a When Harry Met Sally vibe to it where despite living in such a big city with so many people, these two characters with a strong disdain for one another keep running into each other. Their connection is unavoidable in more ways than one. The way Julie Sotto wrote the musical aspects of this book was PHENOMENAL. As someone with a musical and dance background I have always felt connected to music and this book was no exception. I could hear the music, see the concerts, and feel the beat of the story. The music almost becomes its own charatcer in the story which was so beautiful and something that hooked me to the book right away. Everything in this book really came to life and captivated me from start to finish. I cannot wait for this book to come out and more people to read it because it's amazing!!!

Well this was a surprise for me. The beautiful way this romantic read was written captivated me. The way that Soto used her knowledge of string instruments and the whole premise of two talented musicians with sizzling chemistry had me right from the start. I devoured the romantic (and oh so steamy!!!) moments, and the emotional ones! These two characters were captivating for very different reasons and I really enjoyed this story. I can't wait to read more by Soto. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have never played a musical interment in my LIFE but the way I ATE this book. It’s probably good that I don’t play a cello or it might give me a complex.

I loved Alex/ Xander’s character and thought he was perfect for Gwen. Their love story was poetic and sensual. Like I said, I have NO musical background but the way that Julie Soto wrote this, it was all so easy to understand and follow. You can’t help but fly though the pages.

Gwen wasn’t my favorite, I felt like she ignored a lot of red flags, especially when she got first chair. I also thought it was strange that Xander would have such a hard time standing up for himself given how his character was described.

The side characters were some of my favorites, Jacob, Mabel and even Ava, ugh! *hearts*

This book was my first Julie Soto and I enjoyed it! I really felt like I could visualize all the music scenes and I loved how music was incorporated deeply in the roots of this book. You don’t need to be well versed in playing an instrument to understand the story (though it does help!) - I feel like it was explained well.

The slow burn/tension was well done, although sometimes I felt like either the pacing or a plot point was slightly off, but I just rolled with it. With some more editing and finesse, I think this book could have been five stars - but it was still good. The author’s note explained in the beginning that it was Star Wars fan fiction and that it was her first book, which got rejection after rejection before finally finding a home.

It’s not quite enemies to lovers because Gwen always admired Xander but thought he wasn’t nice. There is also an exploration of grief, abandonment, and problematic music industry tropes/plots in the story. The spicy scenes were really good because they were emotional too - 2.5 🌶️.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, I ADORED this book. Literally devoured it over a span of two days (half the evening of the first day and the other half whenever I could the next). The romance was just exceptional, the tension between Gwen and Xander/Alex was top tier and their spicy scenes were holy moly. On top of that, I never knew that the orchestral space could be sexy, but Julie gave it to us. Also, I really really wish I could hear the compositions that were such an integral part of the story, so much so that they’re practically a main character. The way that Julie spoke about and described the music made me literally CRAVE hearing it myself and really feeling the emotions it invoked in both Gwen and Alex. Truly a top tier read!

4.5 Stars

WOW! This was my first Julie Soto book and I will be reading her other book, Forget Me Not ASAP. If you’ve been turned off by her covers (like me) then I’m here to tell you to give this one a chance.

Not Another Love Song follows Gwen, a gifted violinist, who has an uncomfortable run in with Xander Thorne while playing at a wedding he’s at. Xander is a famous cellist who also plays in a big time NYC orchestra with Gwen, only he doesn’t remember her even after sitting across from her for a year! Competition between them ramps up at the orchestra among other things.

I was hooked from the beginning— the tension! The longing! It was so good. This book is very spicy though so just beware. It reminded me of Ali Hazelwood (who happened to write the blurb) but I preferred this to anything I’ve read by her. I will say around the 70% mark I got a little bored but it was short lived and I also think a lot of these characters could really benefit from therapy.

Thank you to Net Galley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of Not Another Love Song in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Julie Soto, so I was so excited to read this.

I loved how Gwen was finding herself through the uncertainty of her career and expectations placed on her. The tension between her and Xander was so intense you could feel it oozing off the pages. Some parts I felt were a bit unrealistic and a little over the top but I think it still made sense with the story.

There was a scene with Gwen’s best friend and his bf that had me laughing so hard it was too cute. I loved them as side characters!


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.