Oh my god this was a DELIGHT of a book, 4.5 stars. Don't let the fact that I've waited more than a month since reading this book to finally put down a review for it fool you, this has been my favorite romance of the year so far by a long shot. These characters, their tension, THE CELLO???? The way music and musical appreciation is woven through every bit of this story deeply pleases my inner band kid (6 years of clarinet LET'S GO) and makes me very upset I never pursued that passing thought of man, I'd really like to try violin.

I think I liked this even more than I did Forget Me Not, and that takes place in my own city so I wasn't sure I wanted the NYC book to top the Sacramento book, but here we are.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto should be the 2024 read of the summer. It was perfect, 10 out of 10, no notes. It was swoony and fun. I cannot wait for anyone to read this wonderful book.

Julie, Julie, Julie.....what are you doing to us? How is your sophomore book even better than your first? Although, the little cameos were fantastic!

Grumpy Xander and Gwen. Oh how I loved them each.

The steam.
tumultuous family.
The MUSIC.

Damn, this was good. I read it in one sitting DURING my finals week. This is saying a LOT!

Utter perfection.

Julie Soto is an auto-read author for me.

Thank you Forever for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto // 5-Stars ⭐️ // releases on 07/16/24
This book surprised me so much because Julie Soto’s last book wasn’t my cup of tea (stick with me). The writing was beautiful in her first book, as was the overall story, but I didn’t enjoy how severely grumpy the MMC was. In ‘Not Another Long Song,’ however, I LOVED both characters. I didn’t know a violin and cello could be so sexy! 🥵 The relationship was technically rushed (time-wise) and moved very very quickly, but it didn’t FEEL rushed, it felt fated. I love a love story where the man falls first (and he fell so hard, after what I admit is the perfect grumpy timeline). I love a love story with someone REAL, who struggles, who has trauma, and who perseveres through it. I met Julie Soto in STL at her previous book tour and her personality and story is *chef’s kiss.* All of these things combined made this an easy 5-Star read for me!

Not Another Love Song graced me with the full gamut of emotions. I was gasping at the end, the final line sent me into a spiral of emotions. I was obsessed with Xander and Gwen, I was so sad the book was over, the line itself will live rent free in my mind forever, and I was just overwhelmed with how strongly I felt. I am a indie book lover, through and through. Julie Soto somehow appeases the trad book appreciater in me while filling my indie loving heart to its brim.

This book was so easy to read, the story was not overly suspenseful or surprising but did find a way to capture a great deal of intrigue. My attention was locked onto this book from the freaking author's note and had me laughing throughout. Soto mentions in the author's note how uncomfortable it would feel if the first cellist and first violin had tension as they stared at each other across the aisle.. and she delivered this moment. It wasn't how I expected it, but it was better. That moment was PEAK.

Xander's privileged tortured soul was presented so well, it was somehow both easy and difficult to understand him. I anticipated his moves, his motivations and frustrations, but wanted to slap him upside the head sometimes to open his dang eyes. He was not as complex and he thought himself to be, but talented nonetheless. Gwen was a bit meek, but she needed to be to offset his personality and ego. I love how she LOVED his band and we got a glimpse of that here and there which was a lot of fun.

While I don't usually 5 star a 3rd act breakup, the resolution here slapped. I mean, SLAPPED. The whole last 15 minutes of the book was perfect, just enough resolution between characters and plot lines to feel complete with a bit of openness to imagine and interpret where are they now. I was appeased as an American who needs answers now, but also sat and let my mind drift a bit as to where they are now and enjoyed the journey of my thoughts for a bit. Soto did a beautiful job presenting these characters to us to learn, so it was easy to see them off and fade into the sunset.

Beautiful. Hilarious. Captivating. Intriguing. Fun. Perfection!

4.5 ⭐️’s - if the cover says anything about this book…let it be known that it is one hell of a SEXY SMOKIN’ HOT ROMANCE 🔥🎼🥵🎻

i have never read a book that made me feel this way before! i can’t even tell you exactly what it was. it was horny. hot. a book plot i have never read before. literally a violinist and cellist? two members of an orchestra? i just could not get enough of this book. the angst was there. the tensions. the hotness. it just had everything in a romance book i could want and more.

i’m a world full of a lot of smut books (LOL) this was one was done so GOOD!!! thank you julie soto!!!

“They’ve been keeping you hidden,” he said. “Ordinary. When you’re anything but.”

Not Another Love Song is a contemporary rivals to lovers story that follows two incredibly talented orchestra musicians.

Emma and Alex have a beautiful story that details the trials and tribulations of being a professional musician in a competitive world. On top of sorting out their feelings for one another, they both have complicated pasts.

The story does include a lot of musical terminology but it doesn’t take away from Alex and Emma. While it’s considered rivals to lovers, it’s pretty much instalove. That being said, I had a wonderful time reading this story.

This book flew by - I wanted more!

Really enjoyed Gwen and Alex’s story and how they were intertwined!

I LOVED Forget Me Not last year so Julie Soto is on my radar now.

First, look at that damn cover. Amazing!! The scene its based on? EVEN BETTER! I could not get enough of Gwen and Xander's tension throughout the book. I loved that Xander didn't hide his feelings for her, either. At least, it's obvious to the reader that Gwen snatched his attention since the wedding scene. Their chemistry kept me up the two nights it took me to finish this book.

Another thing I loved was how they got to be together after they get together. I know, reading romcom a lot, you would think the two main characters are together all the time, but often times, once they're a couple, something will break them up right away. But here, we get to enjoy Gwen and Alex/Xander be a couple and I loved it so much. I love how each character helped the other grow. I'm only disappointed that I can't actually hear their beautiful duets in real life while reading the story. Sheesh, these two were basically making love on stage! (Definitely not complaining.)

It gave me butterflies and made me laugh. Would definitely recommend!

Book: 4.5
Spice: 3.5
adult contemporary romance, grumpy mmc, musical co-workers

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC. It's my first ARC and I can't wait to get a physical copy once it's out!

Who knew playing a violin could be sexually charged! The way this author writes is like foreplay. She creates unbelievably good tension between two unlikely lead characters but their connection goes beyond a physical attraction. The undeniable chemistry lights the pages of this book and you are rooting for them to both succeed together and on their own personal journey.

Though I enjoyed this author's writing style, I did get lost at the way she told the story. With music as the main theme of this book, sometimes the use of musical terminology as a double meaning or sentences that read like poetic lyrics lead me to rereading a few times to fully understand the scene or emotions the author was trying to convey. Since I am musically illiterate, it did take me some time to fully understand everything.

Though I did get jumbled up on the musical terminology, I did enjoy this story overall and I adored Gwen and Alex. If you are a reader looking for a well written story with flawed characters and a story with depth this is a book you must check out. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the ARC

ARC Review: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Pub Date: July 16, 2024

Gwen Jackson is a violinist for the Manhattan Pops - an orchestra that plays popular tunes. She has a side hustle of playing music at weddings with her friend and roommate and at one such wedding, needs to borrow a cello. Xander Thorne, lead of her favorite band and fellow member at the Pops, just so happens to be in the wedding party and have his cello. Xander is instantly intrigued by this violinist he's never noticed before and together they realize they can make some pretty amazing music.

Listen does that little blurb come even close to describing this book that I am utterly obsessed with? Probably not. But I'm just still screaming incoherently about this book so that is in fact what we get.

GOOD LORD was this book HOT! Alex/Xander is down so bad for Gwen so quickly and I just ate. it. up. He was feral for her, I was feral for them, a good feral time was had. Who knew playing a musical instrument could be so sexy?

I genuinely loved everything about this book - the characters, the story, the relationship, the SPICE, the friends - it was all just utter perfection. There's so much delicious tension and just knowing how obsessed Alex was with Gwen...I mean have I said it enough yet? It was HOT.

Is this review even helpful and tell you why you should read it? I'm not sure. But just...read it okay? It's so good. like so good.

Thank you to Forever for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book! As a former violin player, it was engaging and a truly wonderful story! the main characters were relatable and funny and the spice was the perfect amount! I would love to have heard them both play!

Absolutely incredible. Adored this 2nd book from the fabulous Julie Soto. The tension between the main characters was *chefs kiss*. I've never wanted to play an instrument more!!!

I have been an avid romance reader for many years, I have read books that give me the feelings and the romance, the heat and the feelings of two character's that truly desire one another. This book is probably one of the first ones I have read that you could feel the sensuality of the chemistry of the main character's. I like to usually have three words to describe a book, but "Not Another Love Song" has become on of the few where one word is enough to describe what you will get from this.

Sensual.

N O T A N O T H E R L O V E S O N G

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

julie sure knows how to write gripping romances and grumpy mcs who are soft and down bad for their girl.

i was hooked from the get go in this swoony, musically vibrant romance. gwen jackson is a violinist in the nyc pops orchestra and takes gigs on the side at weddings etc so she can pay for her "not quite a bedroom" in the apartment she shares with her bff jacob. at one particular wedding, she is asked (with no notice) to play the cello and not just any cello - this one belongs to xander thorne, her rival and previous childhood crush, who plays in her favourite band, thorne and roses. he is instantly obsessed with her.

i won't say much more to keep this spoiler free, but i highly recommend this book. i was a huge fan of forget me not, and julie's second novel will not disappoint.

I want to thank NetGalley, Forever, and Julie Soto for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If I could weave stories like Julie Soto does about the first chair violin and the first cello, I would go to the symphony more often.
I really enjoyed Xander and Gwen’s relationship throughout the book and I liked that, unlike some romance couples, they actually talked about misunderstandings. I also loved the friends and chosen family they surrounded themselves with and that their passion for music was so integral to the story - it wasn’t just their jobs. I definitely learned a lot about the inner workings of a symphony and enjoyed how it was incorporated throughout the story.
Overall, I had a fun time and am definitely going to be picking up whatever Julie writes next.

"He didn't want to title it yet, but the file needed a name. He typed: Not a Love Song. And he believed it for weeks."

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is now one of my favorite books of all time! The characters feel so real in their multi-faceted lives and I was rooting for Gwen from the very beginning. Seeing her struggle with what she wants for her future, and ensuring she has the time and money to hone her craft really resonated with me. Its tough worrying about being financially stable while also chasing your dreams. If you can relate to struggles with work-home life balance, living up to others' expectations, and the realities of making ends meet in today's world (especially in the arts) then you will feel seen like I did.

"When she was going through her mother's belongings at ten years old, she'd realized that she wanted her life to be more than just 'stuff' when she died. She wanted to be remembered for something."

This book was chock-full of deep themes, but also tension and pining and Alex.... my mans my mans my mans !!! He is SO GONE for Gwen from the moment he learned what she can do and I am FERAL over it. I cannot even express how many scenes with them had me kicking my feet screaming giggling.

Even the secondary characters--Mabel, Mei, Jacob, Declan. This is the best found family I could have asked for.

There really is so much I could say about this book, but to sum it all up: READ THIS BOOK! You won't regret it!

I don’t know how Julie Soto was able to make stringed instruments hot but she did it anyway. A rivals to lovers romance with extreme amounts of tension? What more can you ask for? I will say there were a lot of musical references (rightfully so because duh?) and I did find it a little repetitive but this is also coming from a person who doesn’t really know all the technical aspects of stringed instruments so maybe don’t listen to me? idk! I was reading for the romance first and the music second. However, anytime that it was just Xander and Gwen interacting, you know I was eating it up. Also, that one specific cello scene? Like HELLO?! I was SAT. Loved this book and want more of them right now.

Julie Soto has done it again! She’s now an automatic buy author for me! What a beautiful, sexy and refreshing story. I devoured this book in one sitting. Julie Soto truly has gift. Can’t wait to read more of her future work.

there wasn’t a single moment of this book that i would change. i loved every second of it and never wanted it to end. qwen + alex were filled with so much angsty tension that made it impossible to put this book down. i ate up every single interaction and felt there chemistry right from the start. some of the hottest scenes ive ever read in a romance book🥵🎻🎶😮‍💨. these two horny cuties will be on my mind for the foreseeable future. julie soto is an auto-buy author for me hands down. she knows how to write bingeable love stories that are just straight up HOT.