Julie can do no wrong in my eyes and this is no exception!! This is so sweet and spicy and all you want in a romance! And that cello scene 😅. I’ve never loved classical music so much!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

This book was utterly perfect. No notes, whatsoever!

I was immediately lured into this story right from the “Dear Reader” at the start. I mean, anytime the male main character resembles Adam Driver, I 👏 AM 👏 IN.

The tension was absolutely mouth-watering! Every moment Gwen and Alex spent in each other’s presence was electric. I have honestly not read tension THIS GOOD in a long time. Thank you, Ms. Soto! 🙏

This story was just so interesting to me. I enjoyed seeing the dynamics within the orchestra and how Gwen navigated her promotion and her relationships within its ranks. I was so happy for her, but also couldn’t help but urge her to see what Alex could see all along. I won’t go too in depth because this story was so great to experience firsthand.

⚠️ Spoilers maybe: Yes, there is a third-act breakup. I know, I know, but GET OVER IT because MY GOD, it is good! Both characters are being manipulated by those they wish to impress the most and neither is willing to compromise. BUT THE REUNION. Y’aaaaaaalllllllll… 🔥💥🔥

I could spend hours gushing over this book, but for now, I will just say - PLEASE add this to your TBR! You will not be sorry! You’ll also probably wonder why you never read an orchestra romance before!?

I have not yet read this author’s debut and I am honestly kicking myself for having put it off. Forget Me Not will be one of my first reads in June!

Thank you again to Julie Soto (@juliesotowrites) and Forever (@readforeverpub) for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

wow wow wow! 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 is a stunning second release from soto. i had high hopes for this after loving soto's debut 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 and boy, did it deliver. featuring two beautifully gifted musicians who are flawed in their own ways, gwen and xander fall deeply in love with the music they compose together while also falling deeply in love with one another as well.

soto really nails building up the tension between the two and creating such a strong connection through their musical backgrounds. each scene that features them playing their respective instruments is dialogue in itself; from each note that is delivered to the way the look at each other as they perform, everything is so intentional. couldn't stop squealing and kicking my feet as i read their scenes, i couldn't get enough.

julie soto is an autobuy author for me and i already am anticipating her next release! 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘣 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

A very easy 5 stars! Julie Soto hit it out of the park with "Not Another Love Song." As someone who grew up playing instruments and loves music, it was really awesome to read a book with characters who are professional artists and this is easily in my top 5 books of the year so far! Alex and Gwen are both fantastic characters and I flew through this book in one sitting.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review!

I really enjoyed Soto’s debut, Forget Me Not, so I was very excited to get my hands on her next novel! Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me. I’m not sure if I couldn’t take the very young protagonist seriously at this point in my own life, but I didn’t feel like the love story felt super believable. Their only bond was music so I just struggled to find the connection. I did really love the descriptions of music though and the steamy scenes were great (there’s one in particular that I still think about). This didn’t turn me off from Soto’s future work by any means but wasn’t a hit for me overall.

i think two of the biggest issues for me with this is simply i dont have enough music knowledge to understand everything fully and the plot ended up falling pretty flat for me and by the end i just didnt really care much anymore. combining these things made this a pretty unenjoyable read unfortunately

Overall another good love story from Julie Soto. God I really do love her fanfics so it’s such a joy she is now being published. Excited for whatever she comes with next.

Honestly speaking, I do enjoy classical music but am not too into it but with this book, the author manages to make readers understand emotions from the different musical performances simply by her writing. Both Gwen and Xander are flawed characters and yet have some redeeming features for readers to root for. It is definitely steamy so be prepared for it. They have amazing chemistry constantly that is simply crackling without a doubt. There is a third act breakup which felt really too late. This rivals to lovers story will be a huge fan favorite for sure!

Another Julie Soto masterpiece!

What to expect:

🎻Rivals to Lovers
🎻Musical Prodigies
🎻NYC Setting
🎻Grumpy X Sunshine
🎻Found Family
🎻Forced Proximity (workplace)
🎻He Falls First

Full thoughts at the link below!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7MLi_erKxN/?igsh=MWI5OThqb2Q2a3B0NQ==

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Can I just say this book was so precious. I genuinely didn’t think I would get approved for an ARC but I am so glad I did.

Not Another Love Song focused on our main character Gwen who plays the violin for an orchestra. She meets Xander who almost immediately becomes infatuated with her musical talent and the story takes off from there.

I thought this book was the most precious thing ever written. I love Julie Soto’s writing and read Forget Me Not, which is her first book. I also really enjoyed seeing her other characters make a couple cameos in this book. It always wakes me heart. I loved the way this story was told, how everything unfolded, and just how perfect Alex and Gwen’s relationship developed.

Overall this book was amazing. I would give it more than five stars if I could and I’m so grateful that I was given the chance to read it.

Give me a story featuring a brooding musician with a devastatingly handsome face ANY day, and I will eat it up. I absolutely devoured this book in one setting.

Julie Soto has an amazing talent of creating delicious tension between her characters without making the plot feel unrealistic. The setting of the competitive orchestral world was a new one for me which made the sparks flying between the two characters that much more exciting and novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don’t really know what to say, it’s been forever since I’ve written a review. I loved Forget Me Not so much I had to read this.

I just finished this and I know for sure that this is one of those books that remind me why I love reading romance. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Makes me feel like I’m reading for the first time again. It swept me away.

I adored Gwen and Xander, watching them grow and love and the chemistry these two have. I loved all the secondary characters and we get to see Ama and Elliot from “Forget Me Not”. I would recommend reading that book first.

I’ve never really listened to classical music and have never seen a live orchestra, but after reading this book I’m definitely more interested now. I’ve taken to Spotify and YouTube to look up bands to get a taste of what Thorne and Roses would sound like. It’s now part of my daily playlist.

I don’t want to say much about the actual storyline you should just read it. If you love music, romance and found family then I think you’ll love this book. Julie Soto is definitely a favorite author of mine now.

P.s. there is one scene in this book that lives rent free in my mind and you’ll know when you read it. You definitely don’t want to miss it.

thank you to forever publishing & netgalley for the arc!

Julie Soto has done it again!!! I fell in love with Forget Me Not, and Not Another Love Song is truly remarkable!!! Julie’s writing in this is poetic & beautiful, the way she incorporates music into love and vice verse is so lovely & really pulled on my heart strings (no pun intended).

I loved both Gwen & Alex’s characters so much! They both carried so much depth, development, and relatability. Two people who love music so deeply and have let that shape their lives in two different ways. Getting to see both of them grow as musicians & artists was so beautiful and made me SO HAPPY!! I was rooting for them the entire time!!! I LOVE THEM!!!

Gwen and Alex’s relationship is beautifully developed and full of so much tension, chemistry, tenderness & care. It was palpable how much these two wanted each other. I blushed, swooned, and squealed while reading their love story. The spice in this book is SO well done, per usual with Julie Soto, and felt so intimate and raw in the best way possible. Their connection was so genuine, you could tell just how much they understood and SAW each other for who they were—not for who everyone else wanted them to be. UGH. SO GOOD!!!!

NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG by Julie Soto is, I think, even better than her first book.

According to the foreword, it started as a Reylo fic, and now might be a good time to tell you that I have never seen a star war in its entirety. (We watched Phantom Menace over several days my senior year of high school because of a quirk of scheduling with the community college, but that scarcely counts.) So other than knowing that everyone thinks Adam Driver is a dreamboat, I don't really know what to look for in regards to the fan fiction aspect. You might get more mileage there.

What I can also reveal is that I, your girl, played violin for three whole years. I went as far as my natural talent could take me (towards the front of second violins, 7th grade) and then gave it up when it became clear I'd have to...you know...practice if I wanted to keep going. Pair that with the single day I spent in NYC and I am minimally qualified to talk about a book set in a pops orchestra in New York, lol.

We throw around the phrase "enemies to lovers" too freely, I think. There are no enemies here, although there is a bad boy, never-on-time, arrogantly talented rockstar guy with the iconic floppy dark hair and a people-pleasing, rule-following, talented-in-her-own-right woman who butts heads with him, so there is definitely tension between them, even antagonism, but never even approaching enemies. Characters' lives are entwined in interesting ways, often going back decades, in precisely the way that tends to happen in smallish communities, like classical music.

I thought it was a very fun, very compelling read—I didn't want to put it down and flew through it in like a day and a half. It almost makes me want to watch a star war to see what I'm missing.

Never knew that making+playing music could be so sexy 😆 Honestly though I've always wondered about the connections between classical musicians and I love listening to the instrumental covers of married couples like the Brooklyn Duo!⁣
⁣
In NALS, we have Gwen Jackson, a violinist who has been playing with the Manhattan Pops for a few years while also doing some side gigs like playing at weddings. And at one such wedding, she ends up running into Xander Thorne - an accomplished cellist and star of the band Thorne and Roses, who doesn't recognize her though he's also been a part of the Pops in the last few months. But he's spellbound by the way she plays and is able to see her innate talent. Both of them are musical prodigies(I'm jealous guys😆)⁣
And to top it off, Gwen is offered the position of First Chair at the Pops as Ava Fitzgerald is stepping down and that's something that Xander has had his eye on for a few years for personal reasons. So, there's a slight bit of rivalry between them but the desire to collaborate on music - and more 😜 - overtakes that!⁣
⁣
I've got to say that the chemistry and the sexual tension between Gwen and Alex/Xander was off the charts!🔥 The connection between them when it comes to music and everything else kept me spellbound. I loved how Alex was gone for her from the beginning - the way his eyes kept following her everywhere! The emotional connection was amazing too and it felt like a song with highs and lows. The way they came together when they were composing, discussing and playing music was very beautiful! ⁣
There were also many side characters like Jacob and Mei who added so much fun to the story! I loved Gwen's bond with Mabel too! And it was so nice to see Ama and Elliott again!⁣
Anyway, I had so much fun reading this one and I hope that you'll give it a chance too if you're looking for an emotional and steamy romance between two musicians!

I absolutely LOVED this!! As a former band kid, the orchestra setting was so unique and I really enjoyed all the different levels of conflict. The main characters felt multi-dimensional and the side characters added even more fun and depth. (I loved Declan!) The buildup and tension between Gwen and Alex/Xander was simply delicious. He liked her so much and was so mad about it! The plot/conflict developments felt fitting and I was happy with how things wrapped up. (I just wiish their story could go on forever!) The cameos from Ama and Elliot were really fun too. Can't wait to make all my friends read this!

This book was a masterpiece. The tension, the characters, the MUSIC. I devoured this and couldn’t put it down. Every time Alex and Gwen were in a room together I was holding my breath. I’ve said before that Julie Soto writes women who are so competent at something—experts in their field, and I EAT IT UP.
But truly my favorite thing about this book was the music and the sensuality and story telling encased in it…such a powerful thing to convey with only words.

We meet Gwen as she is gearing up to play cello (as a violinist) at a wedding. Xander Thorne, famous recording artist and fellow Manhattan Pops member, critiques her performance. Despite their rocky start, they find themselves drawn to each other through music. Together they have to face outside sources working against them and their success, all the while having some, quite honestly, hot AF chemistry.

I liked Gwen and Alex together. I loved that he was so self assured and untouchable but would blush about things involving Gwen. The intimate scenes were fantastic, though I was hoping for a little more from their connection outside the bedroom. Their story was a little angstier than I was expecting, readers can expect some drama to watch them suffer through and some real POS characters to hate. I was unaware of Julie Soto’s musical background but it is evident in the way she weaved music into every aspect of the story. I’ve never considered string instruments sensual until this book. Very possible I’ll never look at a cello performance the same way again…

🎻 Gruff, cocky MMC
🎻 Horny for music
🎻 Meet disaster
🎻 Detailed spice
🎻 Cameos from Forget Me Not!

I bought Soto's first book, Forget Me Not, because of the stunning cover but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Well after reading this one it's now at the top of my TBR pile!! I requested this book because of the gorgeous cover and knowing I had her other book. The was an absolute delight to read, I just felt like I had butterflies in my stomach the whole time! I am not a big fan of music, but the way the music and musical appreciation was woven through made me want to pick up an instrument! Alex and Gwen's chemistry was electric. the scene in his apartment with the cello, literally had me melting!! The way they danced around each other, drawn in but pushing back, unable to stay away, ugh it was so sensual and romantic!! There was a third act break up which I always hate but it doesn't even matter because this whole story is a masterpiece and I will be buying a copy as soon as it's out because this is a book you'll want to revisit time and time again!

Wow. So I have not been pulled into a book like this in some time. Thank you for getting me out of my reading slump. A cello falls in love with a violin. And I fell too. If I had any complaint it’s that I felt the ending was a bit rushed but maybe I just wanted this to last longer. And that cello scene 😮‍💨


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the early copy!!!