once i hit the 24% mark i became obsessed! i was in the biggest slump EVERRRR this book took me right out! i've never been into music but i might just learn an instrument! i need that kind of love in my life 🫶
YALL READ THIS BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! You won't regret it!
JULIE SOTO YOU DID YOUR BIG ONE
This was my first julie soto book and i ate it up!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

ARC Received from NetGalley

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto follows Gwen a 20 something year old violin player who got her start as a musician a little later in life and spent her teen years playing in the subway for pocket money, and Xander a former child prodigy, now professional cello player in a cover-rock band. The two are in a pops orchestra together in New York and it isn’t until he hears him play at a friend's wedding that he notices her…… and so the story goes. This story is Reylo fanfic, stated in the author notes before the story begins but it is also so trope-filled and easily identified as a fic due to the way it is structured but I loved it. I always love finding out books were originally fics becasue it normally means I am going to absolutely fly through them and have a fun time. Plus they just always have so much fluff.

One thing I really appreciated about this was that there was a lot of build-up to the characters' relationship itself. And Julie Soto really made this man work for it. I also really enjoy when the male character falls harder than the female, and then has to walk around like a lost puppy dog. I just enjoy it as a trope, but that is 100 percent what this has if it’s also something you're looking for. Gwen really made this man beg.

My biggest complaint with the story itself was the third act breakup. I just felt like it was a bit silly, and when it did come time for it to be resolved it was done in about 3 pages. I just thought the break up was unnecessary. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story and now will be reading Julie Soto’s other novel and looking out for her future releases.

The best April Fools was Julie Soto putting this book on NetGalley! I loved this book so much, the characters felt so real and relatable. Who doesn’t love a hot cello player? I could feel the angst and anguish of the characters and truly immerse myself in the story. I read it in one day!

3.5 stars rounded up
I LOVED the first half of this book! It was tension filled, angsty, and had some really hot scenes. Every person who’s ever played an instrument can find something to appreciate about this book. I loved the NYC setting and getting lost in the music with the characters. I think the “villains” of this story were frustrating and predictable, and I wish the 3rd act breakup was more brief. Once the 3rd act conflict happened, I had trouble picking the book back up, but I did like how it wrapped up overall. I will continue to pick up anything Julie Soto writes because I love the intensity of her books and her writing always gives me butterflies.

Julie Soto, WHAT are you putting in your books??? 😩

I loved “Forget Me Not” so much that I read it in like a day, so this was already a must-read for me this year. When an ARC became available on NetGalley without request, I pounced IMMEDIATELY. (Thank you NetGalley & Forever/Grand Central Publishing) I was glued to it during almost any free moment that I had.

I know not a damn thing about cellos, violins, or entire orchestras, but you best believe I was invested, and also wondering how the HELL these things could be so… sexy?? The scenes of Alex(Xander) & Gwen playing together had me feeling some type of way 🫠 The tension was 😮‍💨

There was a lot going on with the many different characters, and all of the separate relationships, but I was satisfied with how everything tied up in the end.

This book comes out in July- Do yourself a favor & preorder it now if you haven’t already!

I loved this book! It brought me out of a reading slump I was having. I loved the relationship between Gwen and Alex. I actually giggled out loud multiple times while reading. The spicy scenes were great and seeing the cover after finishing the book?? 😌😌 I can’t wait to get a physical copy!

Not Another Love Song was the perfect romance read. It was short, sweet and moving. As someone who respectfully knows nothing about the violen, cello or orchestral music in general, I found all the music parts so fascinating. The couple had chemistry and the flow of the story was perfect. I can’t wait for the next Julie Soto release!

this book was so incredibly captivating in the way it was written, I couldn’t tear my eyes from the screen. I loved EVERYTHING about this book! I knew 20% in that this was going to be a 5 star read… and I was SO RIGHT!!! this is a rivals-to-lovers romance involving two musically-talented people playing in the same orchestra who seem to be trying to constantly prove themselves to people surrounding them, but mostly themselves.

I loved Xander and Gwen. two individuals who are cut from the same cloth but with very different upbringings. I’m a sucker for an underdog and Gwen is the perfect example of proving yourself because you put in the work. I loved the kindness and compassion she had for others and the way she cared for Mabel (who is the best character & the epitome of comedic relief). Xander, or Alex, had such a great character development. he completely re-designed his life not once, but TWICE trying to do what he loves with who he loves. plus the fact that he was inspired by adam driver is a plus 😎🫦

If I could describe this book in one word it would be ROMANTIC!!! this book was so damn romantic in the least cheesy way possible. the chemistry and tension was SO good and the build-up was perfect. you got to see the relationship develop before anything progressed. he definitely fell first and he fell HARD, him pining after Gwen the entire book!!!!! I had butterflies!!!! not only that, but it was funny and heartfelt in the right moments and it could switch-up the emotion perfectly.

plot and storyline aside, the musical components in this book were expressed so beautifully and written like poetry. I don’t have a musical bone in my body and I could very much appreciate how lyrical the writing was and how the author integrated emotion and vulnerability into the music.

I will be thinking about this story for a LONG time! I highly recommend this & can’t wait to read more books from this author. releases july 16th!! thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for the eARC 💖

This book was a captivating read! The chemistry and tension between the main characters was addicting. I finished this book quite fast because I was hooked from the beginning. The cello scene will live in my brain forever!!

If you liked Check and Mate and wished it had adult spice...read Not Another Love Song immediately. It's nerd rivals to lovers where he falls first, and they both end up completely obsessed.

Gwen is an accomplished musician just trying to make it. She's grinding away in the orchestra and taking gigs on the side. When a mix up leaves her scrambling to play the cello for a wedding (even though she really plays the violin), everything changes. Because the cello she borrows belong to Xander Thorne, rock star and fellow member of her orchestra. Suddenly the center of his attention, Gwen struggles with deciding what she wants for her career when everyone else around her has an opinion.

Reading about Gwen and Xander nerding out over music was an utter joy! I could feel the passion through the pages. It was electric and addictive. Their chemistry was impossibly hot and the third act had me wanting to throw my kindle at the wall (in the best way of course). Julie Soto will make you feel for these characters. The emotions will grip you and pull you in.

If you like:
-rivals to lovers
-nerds passionate about music
-he falls first
-driven FMC
-found family
...you'll love Not Another Love Song.

I know he is not Adam Driver, but he looks like Adam Driver, so in my head reading this it was just Adam Driver and I ain't mad at it. Sexy and intense chemistry, everything we love about fanfiction in an original story. Sign me up for more!

4.25 stars. I loved this story! Julie Soto writes love so beautifully, like a symphony. Gwen & Xander were so obsessed with each other I’M obsessed with them. The backdrop of NYC was so perfect. The main trope is she hates him but he’s obsessed with her (which i absolutely ate up)

The only thing i didn’t like was the amount of spice…once they finally got together it was like every other scene together they were hooking up lol. I think i would’ve appreciated a cut to black instead!

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever publishing for the ARC!

Julie Soto has done it again!!! That woman just GETS me and can write the best romantic angst. I sped through this and completely devoured Not Another Love Song. I have never even had the interest of playing a classical instrument, but now, I suddenly want to play to violin and live my own real life orchestral romance. Xander was such a soft boi and I would protect him with my life. I am, and forever will be, a simp for that man. I’m not even a Reylo fan, but Julie Soto has gained a lifelong fan with this release. Not Another Love Song is now my whole personality for the foreseeable future.

Thank you SO much to Forever, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!!

Synopsis:
Gwen, an orphan essentially raised by her music teacher, has been dreaming of making a living off playing violin and touring around the country playing solos. She’s been playing with the Pops orchestra in NYC for 4 years when she’s offered the first violin chair after the current one retires. She hesitates to accept, worried that she’ll have to wrangle the brooding, rude, and excessively handsome, Xander Thorne. Xander has been playing the first cello for the past year as a guest star, showing up late and arguing with the current first violin. Gwen must fight her attraction to Xander and fan girling tendencies to succeed as the first violin.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

“He was staring down at her like she was the sun. It was familiar…Like she was an answer to a question he’d been asking his whole life.”

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this delightful book!

Gwen is a self-taught violinist who spent her childhood playing busking in the New York subway system to provide for herself and her grandfather. Xander’s childhood looked quite a bit different. His days were spent reaching for perfection to ready himself to fulfill his role in his family’s classical music legacy.

They know each other from the Pops Orchestra, but their connection changes when they run into each other at a wedding. As their connection begins to break through the well-established rivalry and tension, they find their lives are more intertwined and their chemistry is hotter than they could have imagined.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it definitely made me wish I could play a string instrument! I loved Gwen and Xander’s character arcs as they discovered who they are and what they want. Soto did a wonderful job tying the plot together in a delightful way. I also loved the cameos from Forget Me Not :)

This read is a perfect TBR addition for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Chloe Liese, Lana Ferguson, and Christina Lauren!

This was such a cute book! Julie Soto is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me!! Her characters are so fun and relatable and the spice is spicinggggg!!

Suuuuuuch a cute read! Xander and Gwen’s story is top notch rivals-to-lovers. I have a mild background in music (like, high school marching band lol) so I had a little context for the musical references and while some might find using symphonic terms to describe the ecstasy of a lover’s tryst, I felt like it was the perfect description for the amount of tension and feeling behind the act. So. As long as people go in with their mind open just a fraction, they will be fine.

My only issue was the pacing at times. I found my ADHD brain wandering through a few sections of the plot when things were “slow.”

Overall excellent job Ms Soto and thank you NetGalley and Forever publishing!

Romance is not necessarily my genre - I like a good romance book but it usually doesn't do it for me.

That being said, I had a blast with this book. It was funny, it was sexy, it had tension; everything I hope for out of a romance book. The pacing was excellent and I felt the chemistry between the leads. I liked that we got Alex's POV in snippets - Gwen was fun and we got to see what she thought Alex was thinking versus what he actually felt but his voice didn't take over.

I enjoyed this book more than Forget Me Not which I think had too much tone shift whereas this book had just the right amount. It is Reylo fanfic and parts of it feel like it, but it's not something I particularly mind and I was able to pull myself away from the knowledge enough to really enjoy the story and the characters.

4.5⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

This book blew me away. Oh my gosh did I love it. The way they encapsulated the pining and tension in the beginning was amazing. It had me giggling and kicking my feet 🫶🏼. They were rivals to lovers and when she didn’t know how DOWN BAD he was for her that he went home and composed a piece for her specifically had me deceased. Ugh I’m obsessed with them. If you want a romance with tension, spice, pining, confliction, emotion and passion.. look no further cause Julie Soto has got it all right here 😍


Also that t-swift reference at the end? *chefs kiss* ❤️‍🔥

🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

Not Another Love Song is a enemies to lovers romance about Gwen, a young violinist and Xander, a contemporary cello rock star. As they battle through the challenges and politics of their musical careers they find themselves again and again drawn to each other.

I read an advanced reader's copy and it was wildly hot. The tension and build-up is beautiful and the romance is palpable. This book is as much a love story about two people as it is about finding your most authentic sound. The world felt so real and the chemistry between Gwen and Xander was off the charts (or should I say staff).

So this is one of THOSE books—one of those dang books that is so amazingly beautiful that you spend forever wishing you could read it again for the first time. It is passionate, romantic, witty, and had me captivated from chapter 1. Gwen and Alex are without question one of my favorite couples I’ve ever read—ever, as in ever and ever and ever. Their partnership and connection gave me full body goosebumps and a longing for the book to go on longer as I neared the end. The supporting cast of characters added a quality and richness to the story. The pacing was absolute perfection, no notes!! Fan-freakin-tastic. Left me in a total heart-eyed daze.