This was such a fun little read! I love a love hate relationship! The beginning was a bit slow, there was a bit of orchestra info which I actually loved. I throughly enjoy this one!

A new favorite book unlocked! There was so much I adored about this book. It hooked my attention from the very beginning with the plot. I found it so interesting and intriguing the way that music was woven in to this book and used as a vehicle for driving Xander and Gwen's relationship forward. Xander was so down bad for Gwen and I loved how we got glimpses into his journey of being a child prodigy and now his life as a rockstar cellist. We also got such a good understanding of Gwen and her loneliness and how she feels that void with music. I loved seeing her find her voice and confidence as a musician. I could feel the intimacy between these two characters as well. I really felt like we saw their bond formed and see them become their own family. I loved how they pushed each other as people and musicians. Ultimately this book was so steamy, passionate, and romantic. I couldn't put it down!

I’m not sure why I picked up Not Another Love Song, to be honest. I didn’t like the cover, the title seemed a bit trite, and I don’t remember loving the blurb. I wasn’t even familiar with Julie Soto. But now I am.

This is a book I thought about long after I finished it, and I know it will stay with me. The story isn’t as realistic as, say, Abby Jimenez, but it’s not as preposterous as Lauren Asher either. It’s a story with deeply feeling characters, full of complexity and an abundance of love, which will always be a winner for me.

At this moment, I can’t even recall the level of spice (that’s what I get for writing this review so late), but what I can recall is the feeling of falling in love with Gwen and Xander. The way they inspire, challenge, and show up for each other is going to stick with me for a long time.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley—thank you to them! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

right book, wrong time. i do plan on picking this back up when i'm in the mood. it's a soft dnf for now.

Update: In the last year, I have read this book three times. I did purchase a physical copy for my shelf, which sits right next to Forget Me Not. The writing flows so well, and the story feels like it wraps you up in a warm hug and never lets go.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

3.5/4 ⭐️

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 HOT! 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 her 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. The plot felt so muddled with how much was so much going on. SO much needed to be discussed, including Alex and Ava’s much needed sit-down. I felt like there weren’t any clear explanations/closure regarding their familial relationship, and how ‘x’ decisions influenced Alex’s actions and character up to this point.

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).

Despite all of this, I still had such a fun time. I was entranced and couldn't put my Kindle down. I enjoyed "Not Another Love Song" more than “Forget Me Not”, and will be 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!

This was my first book I’ve read by Soto and it was really good! It felt a little slow in places but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. The love story was amazing and unique compared to what I’ve read before.

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the eARC! Julie Soto, you are my new queen! This book *smacks hand on table* was almost too good. The chemistry between the two leads was electric. I have never wanted to learn to play an instrument more in my life. THAT scene, iykyk. I loved the characters and I very much enjoyed their growth throughout the ovel. This had me enraptured immediately and I could not put it down. I loved it, one of my favorite recent romances for sure and has made Julie Soto an auto-buy author for me!

the beginning of this romance felt slow; took me a bit to get into. but I really loved the ending! Gwen really grew into her own and Alex was so smitten with her! I loved his little POVs. There was some great depth, with both characters, and I loved seeing their little connections.

I don't know much about playing instruments, so some of the references & verbiage felt lost on me. but overall, another solid romance from ms Julie Soto!

I thouroughly enjoyed this story from Julie Soto. Not Another Love Song has all the makings of a great love story-enemies to lovers, competitive musicians, and sleazy side characters doing their best to keep them apart for various reasons. Gwen and Alex at first seem like polar opposites but soon discover that they have more in common than music. They have amazing chemistry and the will they won' t they end up together kept me engaged. I will admit it took a little while to get into the story but once I found out Alex's true identity I was hooked.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this arc.

I had the pleasure of reading this a year ago and it lived up to every expectation I had after falling head over heels in love with Forget Me Not. The tension between Gwen and Xander was phenomenal. The way you felt it in the scenes of them performing music was electric and as someone who played in an orchestra for over 10 years, the terminology was so appreciated. Love love love.

This book took everything Mozart in the Jungle started and completely elevated it.

In Not Another Love Song, Soto masterfully weaves together tension, intrigue, character evolution, chemistry, and perfectly balanced pacing. It's been a long time—if ever—that a book has made me feel so immersed in the story as it unfolded. I could feel the music, the hope, the fear, the pain, the humanity. What’s even more refreshing is that this love story didn’t rely on the usual tropes of playing games or characters with the emotional intelligence of a child. Instead, Soto taps into past hurts and youthful naivety, making the story feel far more authentic and relatable than many of the clichés in this genre.

Incredible. Julie Soto is officially my new favorite author.

Well, what can I say? Julie Soto has done it once again! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting.
This book was absolutely captivating and extremely well written, I enjoyed how absolutely romantic this book was! The chemistry between Alex and Gwen was UNMATCHED! The angst was everything, the tension, the character development, just ughh everything!!!
Julie is definitely one of my autobuy authors I want to scream from the rooftops about how good this was.

This was a decent enough romance - the main characters did have great chemistry. But I didn’t love it as much as Forget Me Not. I can’t decide if it’s just the Sacramento factor. I would definitely continue to read more from Soto, though!

This book had me FERAL. The tension between Gwen and Xander was the pinnacle of angst and yearning. How they used music as a means to communicate with one another, both emotionally and physically was such a unique aspect that I gave personally never read in a romance novel before. I devoured this book and will forever be reading anything written by Julie Soto.

Thank you to the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever, for this eARC to review!

5/5 stars!

Julie Soto is now an automatic auto-buy author for me. Both Forget Me Not and Not Another Love Song were SO consuming, I was immediately wrapped up in the emotions of the main characters, and the plot had the perfect amount of pacing and drama. There were never any lulls or moments of "why are we even here/why is this happening?", and every character contributed something meaningful to the story. There was also a perfect balance between fun moments and humor, with the drama/sad moments throughout the book. Just like Forget Me Not had me suddenly interested in flowers, Not Another Love Song had me suddenly interested in music compositions and orchestra performances (had me reminiscing over my 6th grade era of playing the violin). I was genuinely sad when the story ended, and there were several moments where small cameos occurred with characters we didn't know much about, where I was thinking "please let this be a bread crumb to another new character set for the next book"!

As someone who grew up playing violin, Not Another Love Song hit all the right notes for me—pun intended. Julie Soto masterfully captures the passion, tension, and intensity of the orchestral world, making this rivals-to-lovers romance utterly captivating. I absolutely loved the authenticity of the setting and the complex interplay between ambition, artistry, and love. I’m officially on the hunt for more orchestra-themed romances—this one set the bar high!

I absolutely DEVOURED this book! The dynamic between Gwen and Alex was so good. The sexual tension was delectable! I love an animosity to lovers so much and the payoff of this story was just so good. Julie Soto’s attention to detail on the music and instruments was fantastic.
Soto is definitely becoming one of my favorite romance authors.

I’m still trying to figure out what the magic sauce is that makes me love a contemporary romance instead of finding it boring—but Julie Soto absolutely nailed it! She made the perfect sauce with Not Another Love Song.

I was lucky enough to snag this e-ARC during the 24 hours it was open to everyone on NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did. This story centers around music—specifically a cello and a violin—and even though I don’t have any personal experience with orchestras like that, I thought the way their connection built through music was so beautiful. Gwen and Alex’s chemistry was fantastic, and I actually liked that the miscommunication trope showed up earlier than usual. I usually really struggle with that trope, but here it felt intentional and well-timed, and it gave the story room to grow in other ways. The pacing felt just right, and I genuinely enjoyed spending time with the characters.

This book reminded me why I keep coming back to the romance genre, and I can’t wait to read more of Julie Soto’s work!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

Julie writes chemistry like no other and delivers once again with this novel. Plus, I loved all the Easter eggs referencing the characters from Forget Me Not scattered throughout!