Arc Review: Not Another Love Song
Publishes: July 16, 2024

If the goal of the book was to:
- make me want to take music lessons- DONE
- Watch cello and violin duets on YT- accomplished
- Lose my mind over a small t.swift reference- CHECK
- book tickets to the next orchestra- consider it on the calendar
- request this book from my library to make sure everyone else can read this too if they want- YOUR GIRL IS ON IT

I was so happy to receive this on NetGalley and thought “can’t wait to read my first Julie Soto book.” Little did I know I was already familiar with some of Julie’s writing on Ao3 and have her work on my kindle. Iykyk 😏.

Truly enjoyed myself the whole time. This book has top knotch banter and next level tension. I really liked Gwen's character and how she and Xander interacted with each other. The tension between them was off the charts and I could not put the book down. I mean... a violin and cello player sure do make beautiful music together. I will for sure be getting myself a physical copy when it drops. Also a graphic audio of this book would be amazing!

If you do modifications, this one has some spicy scenes (I think maybe 3 but honestly forgot to keep track 😝).

Thank you again to Netgalley, Julie Soto, and Forever Grand Central Publishing for this e-arc! It publishes July 16, 2024 so mark those calendars!!

For romance this book was up there for me. I loved the orchestra world, two musicians and the angst and tension between them. The songs written and performed with each other was everything. This book is on the spicier side if that bothers you.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy in exchange for a honest review!!

I really like this one (although it does remain in second place to Forget Me Not in my heart). The setting is really fun and unique -- I've never read a book set at a professional orchestra and it was interesting to get a sneak peek into the world of professional classical music. The opening meet cute at the wedding is also excellent, it does a great job of establishing Gwen as a character and setting the musical scene so to speak.

The tension between Gwen and Xander is EXCELLENT (even if it is a little insta-love-y). My only complaint with this book is that there's not a TON of plot -- and a lot of the conflict is based on miscommunication which can get pretty annoying. I really loved the reunion scene at the end though (and enjoyed the subplot with Xander's mom and the former music teacher). Basically, if Julie Soto writes it, I'm gonna read it.

I read a lot of Reylo fanfiction for someone who has not watched a Star Wars movie released after the year of our lord, 1999.

This version imagines the pairing as competing musicians. Gwen is a violinist, hiding behind the scenes as the seventh chair for the Manhattan Pops. Xander (née Alex) is a bad boy cellist, who spends part of his time with the Pops and the rest with a band, Thorne and Roses. When Gwen is forced to play cello at a wedding, Xander is immediately smitten. It's insta-love but for her musical talent.

I had mixed feelings about Soto's first, but this is a beautiful book that surpasses that one in both plot and execution. Soto makes what I consider the pretty dry world of professional orchestras incredibly sexy. I'm usually not in love with insta-love, but the turn of making love of her talent and potential as the driver makes it so much more palatable.

I'll admit to being a bit lost with the musical nomenclature of the book, and I suspect it would be even more beautiful for those with a background and understanding of it.

* Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

This was absolutely adorable!! Julie truly is a master of her craft and has a way of making her characters feel like real people; they’re realistically flawed but oh so LOVEABLE. I know absolutely nothing about musical instruments so it did take me a while to get into the book; however, I was never left bored. Although it had a slow start, I felt all of the feels by the time I was finished. Great book overall. I will definitely be reading more from Julie in the future.

As of now this is my top contemporary romance of 2024! I loved FORGET ME NOT but this was next level good!! The opposites but also very similar dynamic between Gwen and Xander was utter perfection. I loved the aspect of their love for music and how it merged with their romance. I never thought I would be panting over a scene in a book of people playing the violin and cello.

Though most of this story of told through Gwen’s eyes I really enjoyed the brief bits we saw inside Xander’s head and how they added more depth and understanding to his character

Full review on TT

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC 🎻

4.5 ⭐️

I was never interesting in playing an instrument growing up (I was more of a sports girl), but Julie Soto writes it in a way that doesn’t bore you even if you don’t have any experience.

I enjoyed watching Gwen and Alex grow as individuals, and couples. I thought it was important for them to have that fight with 15% left to help them both realize that dreams are ever changing, and it’s okay if someone you didn’t expect to be by your side, is.

Can’t wait for her next book!

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"What does this--what do you want this to mean?
"I can't think. I need to focus--"
"We have five minutes. We'll be fine--"
"Fix your face!" she hissed at him, pushing pins back into her hair.

I would like to thank Forever and NetGalley for the copy of this eARC. It was a little less than a year ago that I finished Forget Me Not and I have been counting down the days until this books arrival.

From that day it was announced I put it on the radar of my boss at the bookstore to make sure we ordered stock in for release because I knew even if it was half as good as Forget Me Not that it would be flying off the shelves. Getting my hands on it early is such a privilege and BOY it did not disappoint.

We've all heard of fight, flight or freeze in terms of conflict and Gwen is the true definition of flight, leaving others before they can leave her. I love her so much and many times wanted to reach through the pages. She lost so much at so young, and I teared up when she told Mabel about her mother. At times I wanted to scream at her to stay, but at the same time I fully understood her urge to flee.

Alex on the other hand is all fight. He's blunt and likes a challenge. His ultimate motivation was to always figure something out, including Gwen. I loved how obsessive he got about something, especially about her. She was a puzzle he was trying to work out and it was hilarious to see how excited he was when he thought he cracked her. This boy is puppy dog energy through and through and I LOVED seeing him pine after her, wearing his heart on his sleeve. Miscommunication is not in this man's vocabulary. His unrelenting interest and amazement in her was so candid, and while in real life probably a major red flag, I was waving a thousand green flags for this fictional man. So ladies take note: fictional man obsession = good, real-life? run.

The moments when they were together were electric and Julie Soto truly is a queen of banter. But, that's what happened when you're a queen of the enemies to lovers trope. As someone who reads Contemporary Romance with a straight face, I can say that even the moments in this book had ME blushing. At times so jumpy that when my husband walked in the room, I may have slammed my e-reader cover shut with a hissed "NOTHING", even though he hadn't even said a word. Welp... questions were hard to avoid after that.

I've rambled on enough, so I'll leave you with some vague scenes to get excited about.
- The cover... thats a scene... and boy is it a scene if you catch my drift.
- The quote above... lets just say red lipstick wasn't the best decision that night.
- A borrowed violin and a new crowd full of people for our rising star... electric to say the least.

I loved this book just as much as I loved her first and I continue to say that she is an instant buy author for me. Brava.

5/27/24
I don’t want to say goodbye. Forget Me Not was my favorite contemporary romance of last year (quite possibly if all time), and to say this was my most anticipated read of the year is an understatement.

As my staff pick at the bookstore, anytime I’ve been able to, I’ve pushed FMN at them. I’ve had so many come back and tell me just how much they loved it and and now you bet your bottom dollar they’re gonna have to put up with me again for Not Another Love Song

Can’t wait to give my full thoughts but if this isn’t in your TBR, add it.

Julie, if you see this, thank you. I had been in the Reylo fandom so much longer than I was in Dramione, but I’ll always be thankful that Rights & Wrongs introduced me to you. I’ve been in love with your prose and characters for so long and it’s been a privilege to bind your fanfiction. It’s even more special to now have them sit alongside your original work. Thank you for complimenting my art, it wouldn’t have been possible without your own.

See you again in 2025 🖤

Let’s be honest, I would read Julie Soto’s grocery list if given the chance and Not Another Love Song is no exception.

Soto knows how to create a well-developed character-driven story. In this one, Gwen is a musician in a Pops orchestra, but so is Xander. You know, the guy whose band she’s obsessed with. After a chance encounter at a wedding, the two start to find their commonalities.

This book is so well-written and Soto shows great character development in both Gwen and Xander. She brings in the struggles of a professional musician and how it drives our characters. I love Soto’s writing and how smooth it flows from one idea to the next. It does not hurt that she has also created these lovable characters that you can’t help but root for.

My one critique was the ‘villain’ in this book. While Forget Me Not has a clear villain who creates tension throughout the entire book, Not Another Love Song throws in two villains that could have been more.

Rating: 4.5⭐️ I loved this book and can’t wait to see what Soto writes next. I love her characters and their development, in a well-developed plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to its release at no cost. Not Another Love Song comes out July 16, and I can’t wait for you all to read it.

Could not put this book down! I absolutely loved it. Julie Soto writes her characters so well. I do not know much about music and orchestra's but she had a way of writing the music where I can hear and imagine it playing out in front of me. The angst and love and spice were at the perfect level. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

Thank you to NetGallery for this eARC edition of Not Another Love Song in return for an honest review. For fans of music, he falls first, spice and forced proximity!

Synopsis: Gwen and Xander are both fighting for their spot in the first chair of their orchestra and they might also have to fight their connection. They both have a knack for string instruments but Xander was born into his talent while Gwen was taught by her “stand-in grandmother”. They’ve worked together for over a year but Xander has no clue who Gwen is, that’s about to change, and fast! Gwen gets the first chair that Xander thought was all his and soon this rivalry goes up a notch. Their love for music and ability to write masterpieces together is put to the test when they become the center of attention for the public’s gain. Will their love song survive?

Thoughts: Considering the title of this book, this book for sure is full of love songs and I absolutely loved it! When they write and play together you can feel the love between them. I loved when he wrote her into the solo and made her sight read and when he called her out for the concert and had her play with them their chemistry was invincible! This book was full of spice, connection and tension and all around was a good book! Using honesty I felt like the beginning felt slow and the ending felt rushed but the middle was great! It just felt like the timing was off a little bit somehow but still a great read in my opinion! If you think this book might be for you, it comes out July 16th!

I almost didn’t want to give this book a chance as Forget Me Not wasn’t my favorite, but this was SOOOO good!

Not Another Love Song is a captivating and swoon worthy romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. The narrative of rival musicians who find themselves falling in love is both refreshing and lovely. Julie Soto skillfully blends angst, tension, attraction, romance, and the world of music into a melodic storyline that kept me enticed from start to finish. Her writing is so magical I could almost hear the music that was being composed by the characters and the emotions were so palpable. There were a few times I teared up and I couldn’t put this down.


“But, Gwen, please make music with me. I need you in my life. I need to be in your orbit in some way…

Gwen and Alex’s chemistry is so alluring, making their journey from rivals to lovers both believable and enchanting. It is a slow burn, but has some spicy scenes that will not disappoint. I would have loved more development about their past, but overall it's a beautifully written and unique love story that stands out.

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

4.25⭐️

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t love forget me not by Julie soto but wanted to give her another chance and I am so glad I did! I absolutely loved this book!! I grew up learning how to play piano and so all of the musical talk in this made my heart so happy. I absolutely loved Xander and Gwen’s love story and just loved how much they loved each other. Am definitely going to be getting the physical copy of this book! Thank you net galley and forever publishing for an earc in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. The romcoms from Dramiome authors just hit differently.

I’m not much of a music afficionado but this book made me want to go to a concert or twenty. I could practically hear the music when reading this book. I liked the bts look at the concerts and how complicated and competitive and often predatory is the industry.

I loved the tension and the romance and the attraction between the main couple. I loved how ambitious but cautious was Gwen, she felt so real and alive. Alex was also a wonderfully fleshed out character.

I loved the cameo of Elliot and Ama, I hope we will see both couples in the next book as well.

First off, the cover for this book is so crazy stunning, I’m in love. It alone deserves all the ⭐️ for how gorgeous it is!!!

Aside from the Im*gine Dr*gons mention on the first page, the first half of the book had some really good bones to it. The premise had my attention from the get-go, and the tension between Gwen and Alex was HOTTTT! The build-up to the MCs getting together had me hooked, and it was so much fun getting to see different sides of their characters that we hadn’t seen before. In terms of writing, Soto definitely found their groove within the first few chapters!

The execution of the second half of the story [3rd act break-up (which isn’t always a negative!) and resolution] is where I felt the book’s previous efforts fall short for me. It was interesting to see how quick Alex & Gwen were to publicly share their relationship, full well knowing [START SPOILER] Alex’s boss would be on the prowl + how quick Nathan would be to capitalize off of them (— their viral duet moment aside (despite them getting together right after lol), Alex would’ve immediately clocked this). [END SPOILER] These points specifically made the plot feel so muddled. There was so much going on + so much that needed to be discussed, including [START SPOILER] why in the world Ava settled for Nathan + was complicit in how he treated Alex. Their family relationship/dynamic was the driving force behind Alex "becoming" Xander, etc. - Aside from Nathan being through with, where was the closure? Where was Alex and Ava's much-needed sit-down? [END SPOILER]

And their individual arcs!!! — Gwen’s especially! Queen was barely coming up to 23 + is crazy talented! She ended up right where she needed to be, but how things played out felt more convenient than true to her. Seeing her take the time to explore the different possibilities she had ahead of her + how they might've aligned with her passions and where she was in life felt resolved purely for the sake of A&G getting together sooner. In this case, more jam seshes/hangouts and (wedding) gigs between her and Alex before they got together honestly would've sufficed + added to their relationship (at least from our POV). The musical analogies also cranked up here but yolo I was living for it!!!!! #andante #allegro #musictheory

Despite everything I've just typed, I still had such a fun time LOL. I was entranced and couldn't put my Kindle down. Could this be due to its OG roots? Possibly! 💋

I enjoyed "Not Another Love Song" more than “Forget Me Not”, and will keeping a lookout for Soto's future releases! Would totally rec if you are into the emusic scene, and/or just want some fun and a guaranteed great time!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really liked the music concept of this novel- maybe because I’ve never read that trope/prompt before- but I really enjoyed it!!! There was slight miscommunication during the end that made my skin crawl but it worked itself out. The ending felt a bit rushed too, it felt like there were issues then poof, all gone and better which threw me off. Those two things are what brought it down to a 4 star to me. Overall though I really had fun with this book and would recommend! Excited for her other books in the future!

I loved this novel! I was somewhat hesitant given the ages of the protagonists, and how very clearly the characters echoed common tropes in Reylo fanfic (Gwen is an orphan just like Rey, Alex has a chip on his shoulder from his parents and goes by another name given to him by a Snoke-like manager). But overall, it was funny, warm, and the conflicts all made sense and were resolved in ways that didn't feel rushed. I also loved how classical music was woven throughout the story, and that the New York City details were on-point in a way that this New Yorker appreciated. And most importantly: the romance was hot, the banter was fun, and Gwen's happily ever after ending made complete sense.

I devoured this book and am absolutely in love with Gwen and Alex (Xander)! Their chemistry was so absolutely palpable throughout the entire story. Gwen certainly carries past trauma (which is completely fair!) and can really be a people pleaser. Alex also can be a people pleaser which is how Xander came to be. The way their paths intersect is pure magic and the music that flows between them really comes off the page. Their story had the perfect journey and a lovely ending with plenty of spice sprinkled throughout… or on the front cover ;) 5⭐️, 3🌶

Not Another Love Song is the musical romance, enemies-to-lovers book i've been looking for!

Gwen is a violin player that got her dream job (at the time) playing for the Pop's orchestra in New York. She is given first chair at the young age of 22, but is met with distrust and an odd obsession with the first cello player, Xander Thorne.

The tension between the two of them is satisfying and it has one of my favorite tropes - he falls first.

LIked:
. I played classical piano for 15 years, it was nice to read a romance book about people who play classical music
. Enemies-to-lovers
. He falls first
. Satisfying slow burn

Disliked:
. The pacing - it seemed rushed between them being absolute enemies to lovers - seemed like it only took days instead of months or years