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.

Impossible to put down and beautifully written! I grew up playing in my school’s band so I have some background in music but I just loved hearing more about the professional musician’s life and all the politics. Definitely recommend!

I only got about 45% through before deciding to let it go. I liked it well enough, but I felt like at 45% nothing really had happened, and we had barely had any actual moments of chemistry between the MCs before they hooked up. It felt somehow rushed and also slow at the same time. Not a book for me, but could definitely see recommending it to a specific audience!

This is the first Julie Soto book I've read and wow did this leave me wanting to read more by this author. I felt transported both physically and emotionally with both the plot and characters featured in this book. You can tell a lot of thought went into the scenes focused on the music, instruments and orchestra. In some parts you could viscerally feel the music juxtaposed with the tension building between the two main characters. While I'm not usually one for a fan fiction inspired romance you could put that aside and focus on the growth of the characters as their love grew and they reconciled parts of their past with the potential for their future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing and Julie Soto for this ARC!

Thank you, Forever Reads, for providing me with an ARC. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy since I enjoyed Julie Soto's previous book.

This story revolves around Gwen Jackson, a violinist with the Manhattan Pops. She also works on the side with her roommate, Jacob. The plot thickens when they perform at a wedding, and Gwen finds herself playing the cello despite being more skilled with the violin.

Alexander/Xander a fellow member of the Pops who rarely attends practice, is at the wedding and is the one who lends her the cello to play. We dive into Gwen’s background, learning how she started playing the violin at a young age and how Mabel helped her become the talented musician she is today. After losing her mother early on, Gwen lived with her grandfather and busked in the subway to make ends meet.

While I enjoyed Soto's last book, I found this one even better. It's a slow-burn romance with an intriguing storyline. Although the fanfiction aspect went over my head, I was thoroughly engaged. The book gets quite steamy towards the end, which isn't usually my preference, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I was hooked from the beginning and ended up finishing it within 24 hours because it was so hard to put down. This is a binge-worthy and fun read. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 and highly recommend picking up a copy.

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

Have you ever read a book that you'll remember forever? THIS was that book for me.

📝 Since she was 12, Gwen has leaned into playing her violin as a way to cope through life. It's also the one thing she was exceptionally good at. Unable to afford musical schools, like Juilliard, she's worked her way up the ladder. Now, with the chance to shine with the New York Pops, she will do everything it takes. Unfortunately, Xander Thorne, the famous cellist, is in the way. He's cocky, condescending, and so so attractive. But soon, they have a chance to work together, and learn to respect one another. Is this relationship turn into the perfect symphony? Or is it always meant to be off key?

What I 🤍:
🎼 Romance through Music
🎵 Symphony Setting
🎻 Celebrity Musicians
💕 Gravitational Pull
🌟 Kylo Ren X Rae Fan Fic
🥵 Spice, Spice, Spice

This book was absolute PERFECTION! It is now my favorite romance of all time! This book centers around two musical prodigies and the opposite tracks these two took to reach their dreams. One had to grind, grind, grind....even playing in the subway stations for extra cash. The other never given a choice, forced to play as a child. While none of these paths is right or wrong, these two variations came together in a beautiful symphony together, as the character grew respect for one another. I don't know how this is possible, but I swear I could HEAR the music playing as I was reading. This read was extremely powerful.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steaminess: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Read if ➡️: You love classical music, Kylo Ren
📍 New York
CW ⚠️: Death of Parent,

I really enjoyed the writing, and how it was told in third person (I feel like we don't get that much anymore). Additionally, four sections we were given Xander's perspective (done this way like how music pieces are written). The passion in this book is unrivaled. The stares across the stage at one another, Xander playing cello behind her and the MAKING LOVE TO ONE ANOTHER BY PLAYING DUETS. Just swoon. Pick up this book, you won't regret it.

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for the copy of this book. I'm so grateful I got to read this masterpiece.

This was a cute read. I enjoyed the musical aspect of the characters and set. I did struggle with aspects that just felt unrealistic to me. Overall I enjoyed it, but there was no staying power for me.

Thank you netgalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.