10/5⭐️ I LOOOOVED this book! I suspect this will be my favorite book of the year. I’ll be reading it again when the audiobook is released on July 16th. The romance was incredible and you can feel the emotional connection between the characters. I cannot wait to listen to the audiobook! Highly recommend, especially if you loved Julie Soto’s debut Forget Me Not. Thank you @netgalley for this ARC. This was a wonderful romance read 💘
📗🎧Release Day: July 16, 2024

Julie Soto does it again!!

"Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto captivates readers with its engaging narrative and lush details. Soto intricately weaves a story that not only draws readers in but immerses them in a world where characters come to life.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its well-developed characters. Soto's attention to detail ensures that each character feels fully fleshed out, allowing readers to form deep connections with them. From their quirks to their motivations, every aspect is carefully crafted, making it easy for readers to envision them vividly.

Moreover, Soto cleverly incorporates return cameos of characters from previous books, adding depth and continuity to the story. These familiar faces not only evoke nostalgia but also enrich the narrative, providing a sense of interconnectedness within Soto's literary universe.

Overall, "Not Another Love Song" is a captivating read that combines rich storytelling with well-drawn characters and clever nods to previous works. Soto's ability to create a compelling narrative with intricate details ensures that readers will be thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.

I absolutely loved Not Another Love Song and have no notes/feeback. It was the perfect book, with great pacing and I am a sucker for a good Reylo retelling but this felt so fresh and new with them being musicians. Julie Soto is now an auto buy author for me.

I will be absolutely obsessed with this one for a loooong time. Julie Soto is a master of the contemporary romance genre, and this book is a shining example of her masterful writing chops. This book features a swoon-worthy romance accompanied by all the witty banter, compelling characters, and intriguing settings one could want. I blew through this one and truly did not want to put it down. Not only is the romance captivating, but the musical world that this novel takes place in is such an alluring one. The role of music in this book is stunning, romantic, and utterly sexy (iykyk). It takes their interactions to a whole other level and helps the characters explore deeper parts of themselves and the world around them. Soto uses this element as the perfect vehicle for love and healing and writes a symphony of her own on these pages.

My rule is this: If Julie Soto writes it, I will become obsessed with it, and this book is certainly no exception.

E-ARC provided by Forever, thank you so much!

I happened across this on NetGalley as a read now, and jumped having seen the hype for Julie Soto’s first book, and being very interested! Her intertwined universes and command of her subject was lovely! Having come from a strings background she really took the time to research her subject and I found that very refreshing.

Gwen and her roommate Jacob are performing at a wedding when Gwen sees Xander. He doesn’t even recognize her, even though they’ve been in the same orchestra for years. Even worse-he is rude about her cello playing abilities. Gwen is offered first chair as a violinist, and Xander is furious. Can they learn to work together?

Y’all if Julie Soto writes it, I WILL read it! My favorite trope: enemies to lovers! Her books are the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. Perfection!

Thanks to Net Galley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for the ARC! Pub date 7/16/24

In Not Another Love Song we are introduced to Gwen, a violinist who’s on the Manhattan Pops orchestra, and does side gigs at weddings for extra cash. When she runs into Xander Thorn (aka Alex) at a wedding she’s working, something clicks between the two of them and they find themselves drawn towards each other, especially since he also is a part of Manhattan Pops. Their chemistry is unmatched and their musical talents draw them together, even as they fight against their feelings. As we learn about where they have been in their lives, we get to see how they’re overcoming obstacles in order to be together and make a new path for their futures for the better. One of the unique things about the story is that you feel a part of the music and even though I’m not familiar with musical terms I never felt left out. The way that Julie Soto incorporates musical terminology in this story makes it feel that much more passionate and impressionable. I read this book in five hours in one sitting and I can’t wait for Julie Soto‘s next book. Fans of Ali Hazelwood or Lana Ferguson will devour this book like I did.

I LOVE JULIE SOTO. My little orchestra nerd heart was so happy the whole time I read this book. I loved every single second of this. *chefs kiss*

GWEN AND ALEX WILL NOW FOREVER LIVE RENT FREE IN MY HEAD!!!

I never thought Julie could keep me enamored from start to finish with another one of her books like she did with Forget Me Not (Sacramento born and bred, so it’s a hard one to top), but wow she DID!!!!

The cameos were great, the T.S. references were ITTTTTTT!!!, and the homage to orchestras, classical instruments turned with a modern take???? Worth losing sleep over (it is currently 2:01 a.m. as I write this).

The star of the show though? Alex and Gwen’s stories of struggling to belong, growth, found family, and love. For themselves, for their passions/music/careers, for those around them, and for each other.

I pray Julie’s next book is Book 3 set in the same world that both Forget Me Not and Not Another Love Song are (I have a couple hunches [see: hopes] as to which couple it could potentially follow).

Thank you Julie Soto for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book wins the award of best adaptation of reylo fanfiction into something tradpub’d yet. (love that we didn’t suffer through pages of height/size comparisons of the FMC/MMC too.)

This book checked a lot of boxes for me. Complicated family relationships are at the heart of this book, and while the romance is a major part, it goes hand and hand with the characters finding themselves and understanding their pasts. I genuinely liked each of our main characters and felt for them as they each navigated situations of manipulation and misplaced trust. I really felt like our main couple were together for a reason, and had to fight their circumstances, rather than each other (which is the ideal setup for a healthy enemies to lovers resolution). this book was genuinely romantic, and I felt that the characters were a good match that I could root for. lots of chemistry of many types.

Music is another major focus of this, and given that I spent a lot of my life playing violin, it was a part I payed attention to. Some of it rang true, other parts didn’t. Certain moments just didn’t make sense (someone who played would notice being a half-step off without needing “an ear” for it), and the composition that the players engaged in felt either exaggerated or under-emphasized as a skill for the characters (that’s no joke to just compose and play live at a concert?) but does any of this really matter in a romance novel to anyone but me? perhaps not. some of the orchestra drama parts and the relationships with violin teachers did really ring true, and those were also the more plot-critical parts anyways. as to my thoughts on how plausible the (shall we say) choreography of certain scenes is? I’m not thinking that hard

altogether a really lovely read that alternately tugged on the heartstrings and made my heart flutter. sweet, heartfelt, and engaging. 4.5

I plan to feature this book on my Instagram and will update here with the link when I do.

Not Another Love Song just confirmed that I will read anything and everything Julie Soto writes.

Xander and Gwen are likeable characters and made me want to play my violin again. Really enjoyed how the storyline moves fast and issues are resolved quickly and don’t drag out.

I read this book in one sitting and loved it! The author mentioned that it was both inspired by seeing a symphony concert and a Raylo fan fic and I could see that, but she also put her own spin on the characters and the challenges they faced. Spicy, but also with good character development and a satisfying but not completely cliche ending.

Julie Soto is always an auto buy for me. I loved her debut novel, Forget Me Not. Julie knows how to write romance. The chemistry between Gwen and Xander are off the charts. Their story is just so beautifully written. Who knew music could be so sexy. I could not put this book down. Another 5 star read for me from Ms Soto!

Julie Soto has done it again. I started this today and RIPPED through it. First, the good. I loved the characters, their differences, the story, the description for the musicality of life and their compositions (wink), and the call back to Forget Me Not. The bad, nothing much to report. My only drawback for this was pacing, as I felt some of the resolution was very swift and some of the feelings a bit jarring. However, that might just be due to the mainly Gwen POV as opposed to a back and forth. Thank you to Julie for opening this up to all readers for a day and to Netgalley for the opportunity to ARC read.

ugh all the TENSION and the YEARNING, I’m a big, big fan of Julie’s writing and loved all the cameos from Forget Me Not 🥲 Gwen and Alex were such a fun, explosive pair and I was hooked from start to finish.

First of all, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this advanced copy.

Gwen Jackson, a prodigious and self-taught violinist, tries to make her own way while working at the Manhattan Pops Orchestra. Xander Thorne, a cello genius and leader of a famous rock band, will become musical rivals until they realize that their love for music and through music will make them find themselves.

-CHARACTERS: Each and every one of the characters are well developed, both the main and secondary ones, so much so that I would love to read a book about Jacob (Gwen's friend) and his love interests. Gwen the protagonist with a difficult past where she had to learn to fend for herself without losing that happiness that characterizes her. Xander, the male protagonist, a prodigy in every sense of the word, haughty and self-confident but at the same time fleeing from the person he was.

- PLOT: For me it was something new that it was set in the musical setting, all the musical technicalities were difficult for me at first but I overcame it. The descriptions of how a piece of music is created, what it is like to play it blindly without a sheet of music in front of you, the sacrifice that comes with dedicating yourself to music caught me. I loved the situations and dramas in the story, many of them comical, others spicy and with a lot of romance.

This book is so addictive that I finished it too quickly, you can't put it down.

I enjoyed this one so much more than Soto's first novel! I couldn't put it down, and when I did have to, it's all I thought about at work. Her writing has improved along with her story telling. I really felt like I could almost hear the music they were playing.
The beginning was a bit slow but in all I enjoyed the pacing! I absolutely need more Musical Rivals to Lovers tropes now.
The characters were relatable and fresh.

This book was such a delightful surprise. The two main characters, Gwen and Xander, are both professional musicians but came into their positions in ways that couldn’t be more different despite both being in the same philharmonic orchestra. It has rivals to lovers vibes and the tension between these two is palpable. The musical descriptions are so lush. Although I know almost nothing about any of that I was totally swept away by the writing in those scenes and it really made me feel things (and I’m not just talking about that one cello scene)! The angst is perfect without being over the top. The spice will have you sweating and booking tickets to the closest philharmonic orchestra. Gwen might not have always made decisions I agreed with but I appreciated that she wasn’t a pushover. This book really had everything I didn’t know I needed and I immediately preordered a physical copy. Five stars all the way.

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Soto always knows how to deliver exquisite tension, explosive chemistry, and strong FMC.

And yes, the cello scene is HOT, but I would argue the violin scene is hotter, IYKYK.

I found myself absolutely enraptured by this, at several times giddy and kicking my feat, at others….quite hot and bothered. I loved how this was grounded so beautifully with two musicians and it’s clear Soto did her research in capturing the industry as well as the music. I felt the music come alive off the page and could feel the dance between Gwen and Xander as they played together.

Xander’s POV chapters gave us just enough of a glimpse into his character, giving us a viewpoint that helps us see behind his mask an bit and see how he falls so deeply for Gwen. I do wish there were more of these as I do feel there was just a bit of a disconnect with how Xander first behaves and then how he actually is and believes in the Xander persona later on. Looking back at the early interactions with Gwen, I’m not sure I see how they’re the same character.

That brings me to the one quip I have about this which keeps it from being a 5 star read. With this and Soto’s previous book, Forget Me Not, I’ve noticed that Soto is skilled at giving us characters with complex emotional backgrounds and issues. She knows how to dig deep with her characters to expose their vulnerabilities but also make them relatable or at least accessible to readers. With AMA it was her commitment phobia (perhaps tied to her mother’s many marriages), for Gwen it’s the loss of a family and the desire to know where you belong. These are great facets that add dimension to the story, yet I find that Soto doesn’t often stick the landing with pulling the healing and self awareness needed to pull the needle through on these facets for her characters. With Gwen especially, what she really wants out of music is also something that’s hinted at throughout, and tangled with her desire for stability, but I didn’t find at the end that I still really understood how she saw her talent and art and what she wanted with it. It just feels a bit unfinished now that she’s fallen in with Xander, which while sweet, feels like it made her development take a back seat.

This is also felt with Xander who often wanted friends yet in the end, we don’t know if he’s left them behind or whether those bonds survived as strongly — why leave them with that same shit contract if so? Also, it’s not really explored WHY Xander wants first chair, there’s a tie to a late uncle sure, but we don’t see what that relationship with his uncle meant to Xander and how it was so different from his relationship with his mother and step father.


Lastly, I know this is marketed as musical rivals to lovers but I’d argue that Gwen and Xander are never rivals. They’re never both jockeying for first chair in some competition, it’s more that Xander is well established while Gwen in the diamond in the rough rising star. I think having a clearer expectation would help going in to this.

Overall, I still throughly enjoyed this and highly recommend this! I can’t wait to see what Soto writes next.

I'd love to thank Forever Publishing for gracing me with this eARC for my review and original thoughts of this book.

Y'ALL, JULIE SOTO HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

This book is every music lover's ode to romance and what it could be between two musical prodigies. I, of course, cannot speak from an orchestra girl's perspective (I was in band and marching band.....not as tense and broody as orchestra), but whewwwww this was fantastic!

Gwen is our FMC and has been playing the violin since she was 11 and has been playing for the Pops for four years. Her favorite band of all time is Thorne and Roses, a rock-esque orchestral group that is head up by Xander Thorne (because, duh!). She never thought she'd meet him at a wedding of all places, not to mention the opportunity to play his cello (per bride's request) during the ceremony.

Xander/Alex is our incredibly sexy/broody/wickedly talented MMC. Not only can he absolutely slay on the cello to an orchestral movement (hello child prodigy), but he is also a ROCK STAR (and front man) cellist. When I say he is everything, I mean this man is just e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

These two, while incredibly opposite seeming, are actually two sides cut from the same cloth which makes their chemistry absolutely electric.

If this doesn't entice you to read it, maybe these will help:
- Found Family
- Reylo Fanfic based (Kylo Ren and Rey from Star Wars)
- Feel the music moment
- TENSION
- Rival to Lovers
- Spice, need I say more?

"I need to be in your orbit in some way..." - Alex