A rock star cellist and a self taught violinist come together in a spicy romance. I absolutely loved it. I felt the chemistry was really strong right away without coming off as instant love.

I truly loved everything about this book. There's a lot of music jargon but it was written so well that even I could understand it.

When some of my friends mentioned Julie Soto’s new book was on NetGalley I immediately logged in. I don’t know if my thumbs have ever typed faster. I had to have it. My love for Julie Soto’s writing didn’t start with her published works. No ma’am. I started my Dramione journey last year and it led me to the Rights and Wrongs series of fanfics written by LovesBitca8 aka Julie Soto. So last year when I found out she had published Forget Me Not, I knew I had to read it. I felt the same about Not a Love Song.
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Xander Thorne is a classically trained musician and grew up in the world of symphonies. Gwen Jackson is a prodigy who had to play for tips in the subway, but made her way to the Manhattan Pops Orchestra. As they both fight for the spotlight onstage, they realize that they make incredible music together. I loved how this book was written. Most of the book was from Gwen’s point of view, with brief (but fantastic) interludes from Xander. I also enjoyed that I didn’t need to know much about music to understand the story. The dynamics between Gwen and Xander were so beautiful and all the side characters brought so much to the story. Not a Love Song had me laughing out loud and nearly crying.

I love me a musical prodigy 💗 I think this was really well done and was a lot of fun! Julie Soto really ate with this one! I enjoyed my time reading this book and that is the most important thing.

Oooh I could FEEL the moment when Xander first noticed Gwen and immediately started pining after her. Their chemistry was undeniable. He fell first and fell harder, for sure. Heir intimate scenes… wow. What can I say? They did things that involve music and instruments and it was incredibly sexy. I was blushing the entire time. Xander was so intense in everything he did and that translates to the way he felt about Gwen. They were incredibly romantic and tender. I loved Mei and Jacob and all the other friends so much. This book is incredible. I can’t wait to own a physical version so I can reread and annotate.

I’ve heard good things about Julie Soto, so I was excited to read Not Another Love Song. I really enjoyed it! It was a sweet story, and I loved the music setting. I will definitely go read some of her other work.

5/5 stars

I loved Forget Me Not so I had high hopes for this book and was not disappointed. Julie writes such beautiful characters, with flaws and all, and that makes them so relatable. Seeing Gwen and Alex’s love story throughout the book told through music is something I absolutely loved. Seeing them both overcome what they thought they wanted and what was wanted of them to be able to get past that and realize what they needed and deserved was each other and the freedom to be who they truly wanted to be. I loved this book so much and can’t wait for Julie’s next book.

4.5 stars

The yearning, the tension, the music drama… this book mostly hit the right notes.

I liked Gwen and Alex together, them composing music was beautiful to read and overall the orchestra setting was a unique premise for a romance novel. The found family aspect was also sweet. I didn’t care for the third act conflict but to be fair I never really do.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto and Forever publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OH MY GOD YALL JULIE SOTO HAS DONE IT!!!! Truly all the stars to this amazing book!!! I rarely stay up late and read because I love my sleep but I read the first 60% of this book in one sitting when I should have been sleeping because I could not put it down! Also look at the cover - just stunning! Plus that scene is literally in the book and had me squealing!!!

I listen to classical music while focusing at work, and they are usually covers of popular songs so I was kinda meh about the music aspect before starting. But of course Julie Soto had me invested and googling about first chairs in orchestras. I don't want to spoil anything so I've just been raving about how amazing this book is - because it is. Just please read it! Also I loved the cameos we got from Forget Me Not, and I enjoyed Forget Me Not but this is better - truly I LOVED it!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the amazing author for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely DEVOURED this book and will be SCREAMING about it until release day. It. Was. So. Damn. Good.

Gwen and Alex were EVERYTHING. I loved them so much. Their chemistry was absolutely off the charts. That cello scene 🔥

I don't know how Julie Soto did it, but she wrote in a way that made music jump of the page. She made string music SEXY AS HELL.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Netgalley and Forever for the eARC.

Soto composes a compelling blend of angst, spice, and longing amidst the NY classical music scene. I think returning fans of Soto's and new readers will find a lot to like in this one. Already looking forward to recommending it to patrons who love contemporary romance! 4.5/5

Another iconic book by Julie Soto, the most genuinely gorgeous love story with such an amazing premise (violinist and cellist) something I’ve never read before!!! Loved the rivalry between two musicians at such a high level and the storytelling and descriptions made me feel like I was actually there in the story

This was an amazing book - and honestly, I can't wait to purchase it in paperback. I enjoyed it THAT much.

Two musicians from wildly different backgrounds meet at a wedding - except it isn't their first meeting. Gwen Jackson plays violin for the Manhattan Pops orchestra after learning the instrument from a beloved mentor at a music shop. In fact, she has played the violin for them for the last three seasons. When she and her best friend Jacob Diaz are booked at the last minute for a wedding, she discovers that the bride actually requested a cello, not a violin. One of the bridesmaids summons a cello out of seemingly thin air when Gwen claims she can also play the instrument. Cue the arrival of the mysterious Alex, who turns out to be Xander Thorne, the lead cellist of the rock band Thorne and Roses...and first chair of the cellos at the Manhattan Pops.

Gwen and Xander's relationship development is so great, and I adored the buildup. I can't wait to check this out again.

4.5! I’m a music loving girlie so this hit me right in the feels. Enemies to lovers, possessive, spicy, and the NYC setting made me swoon. I loved the showcasing of how music can tell a story all on its own if we pause and listen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Soto for this ARC!

Receiving this ARC made April Fools’ Day feel like Christmas. Julie Soto is fantastic – giving precious and seriously likable grumpy/sunshine characters, A++ sexy time, memorable quotes, and excellent choices for a playlist to accompany your reading. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to attend the symphony again without zeroing in on the concertmaster and the first cello. This is another winner from my favorite writer.

**I was provided an early copy of this book from the publisher.

Ok wow Ms. Julie Soto ... I had high expectations because I am familiar with Soto's fanfic material, but this still totally surpassed my expectations. So what did I love about NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG?
- The way Soto writes about music here, both the way it makes us feel, but also about the more technical aspects of composing and playing.
- All of the characters were great (my only minor quibble is with Nathan and Lorenz because they both felt almost cartoonishly villainous and bad)
- But Alex (Xander) and Gwen were especially great - loved their characterization and struggles
- And of course I have to talk about the romance of it all - so good, so 🔥, 10/10, will absolutely read everything Julie Soto writes, forever and ever.

I could not put this book down! Julie Soto is great about creating characters to root for. Two musical prodigies—one from classical music royalty and the other an orphan with no formal classical training—compete for first chair. There are a lot of unique dynamics represented in this book. I enjoyed exploring the friendships and strained relationships between mentors and how competitive the classical music space can be. The way music was represented in this book was really well done.

Overall, I'm glad at the beginning Julie Soto calls out that these characters were inspired by Kylo Ren and Rey from Star Wars. If that is something you're interested in, this story is such a unique take on that story. If you're not, this will be a great story about musicians nonetheless. For me I'm a sucker for a brooding Adam Driver character in any book, so this was always going to be a win for me!

Rating: 3.5 stars

This book wasn't for me, there was a lot of back and forth between the characters and I feel like there was a lot of conflict between everyone (including the side characters) that were never solved. Like the entire thing with Nathan, and then Ava suddenly seeing *the light* and wanting to leave him. Alex and Ava also randomly reconciled after their differences, but it didn't really touch base on how they got back into each other's good graces.

The writing also felt very bland to me, but I kept pushing through. There wasn't anything spectacular about this book, and it felt like something was missing. The chemistry between Alex and Gwen didn't feel very natural -- it felt very forced.

Julie Soto created an absolute masterpiece with his one and reminded me why she’s an auto-buy author for me!
I know nothing about music or instruments but it all felt so beautiful and romantic. I’m an huge fan of rivals to lovers and I felt that was executed perfected in this book. Alex and Gwen had amazing chemistry and the tension between them was delicious! I also felt the spicy scenes were fantastic and while there were several, it didn’t distract from the story in any way. They were just perfect!
I could see some people not liking the third act conflict but I personally enjoyed it. The ending was sweet and left me feeling satisfied as well!
Forget Me Not was one of my favorite contemporary romances of 2023 and I really enjoyed the little cameos of Ama and Elliot!
Overall I have to say I’m going to be as obnoxious about telling everyone to read it as I am about Forget Me Not!

What a pleasant surprise! This is my first Soto book and honestly, it had everything work against it for my tastes. The main thing is its relation to the Star Wars franchise as fanfiction. I'm not against fanfiction by any means but with the trend of inspired works or fanfiction sent to publication I've noticed that some authors use the pairings as crutches to any real character work or conflict. I'm glad to say that this is not true for this piece at all.

The story follows Gwen as she progresses through her career as a violinist with the NYC Pops orchestra. At a wedding she's filling in as accompanist, she is asked to play on the cello twenty minutes before the start of the ceremony. Frazzled but intending to please, she agrees to switch instruments and transcribe her violin sheet music for cello by sight. To her surprise, the violin she's loaned for this opportunity is Xander Kane's - the irresponsible and disrespectful first cellist of her orchestra. After successfully transcribing the music Xander praises Gwen's feat but criticizes her performance of the pieces particularly by her holding the cello like a "subway pole". Spurned by the unsolicited critique, Gwen sets out on her task to perform well for the Pops. While Xander in turn feels excited and creative engaged for the first time in a while, he can only trace it back to Gwen's performance at the wedding and he sets out to discover what this might mean for himself, his past, and possibly their future as artists.

I have to sing the praises for the structure first and foremost. I really enjoyed how the dual POV is utilized here it's illuminating to the male main character's POV without being over-expository to his feelings or motivations. It feels like the author allows the reader to invest in this relationship on the same level as the female main character. Another thing that I really enjoyed was the writing about music. Although I'm familiar with orchestra work, I'm not a cellist or violinist, so bridging that gap of ignorance was well done. The technique of the play was not expanded but it allowed for the feelings of the players to come to the forefront. I love a good conflict for a romance that actually makes sense and has reach outside the relationship. That's exhibited here beautifully. We have conflict considering familial, legal, social dynamics at play and it's fun to see how they weaved together and informed each other. Also, for an open door book it's pretty tasteful with its selection of scenes exhibiting that description and incredibly intimate. I love the characters, especially the supporting cast. They're fun and I learned so much about the people that populate our main characters' lives. Even though, the story is pretty contained with the world of NYC orchestra scene, the world is filled well.

Pretty sure, I could rave on and about how much I loved this and sped read to this one. It's a great piece that speaks volumes on trust, persona, and that early adult feeling of discovery and regret.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy of this book! Below is my honest review:

4.5⭐ I loved this a lot!!

<i>Not Another Love Song</i> follows two musical prodigies, Gwen and Alex, who fall in love because of and through their love of music. This was an excellent contemporary romance, and I loved all the ways the author incorporated music into the text since both of the main characters are musicians. Using the characters' music to convey their feelings for one another was so beautiful, and it truly made me feel what the characters were feeling. Because of this, the chemistry between Alex and Gwen was absolutely on fire. 🔥🔥🔥 Not to mention this was honestly some of the best written spice I've ever read too.

I also loved the themes explored in this romance. The story navigates power dynamics and how someone you look up to and appreciate could turn out to be taking advantage of you, and I thought that was a compelling topic to cover, especially with two extremely talented musicians.

I definitely recommend this book! Go check it out when it comes out this summer!