I had an ARC of the book. After Forget Me Not, I knew I was a Julie Soto fan forever more. This completely cemented that. I read this book in less than 24 hours and the only reason it took that long was because I have a job (I wish I didn’t every damn day.) My heart hurt for both Grace and Alex and I loved them both so much. The 🌶️🌶️ was perfect. The story was perfect and the cello scene was GOOD. Find you a man who plays the strings 🙈🙈.

Another Julie Soto 5 star read! Her debut-book "Forget Me Not" was one of my top reads of 2023, and when I saw that Netgalley offered her next book I RAN to request. As soon as I read the blurb earlier in the year I just knew that this was going to be amazing, and let's just say my expectations were METTTTTTT (just for the record, I kicked my feet giggling for approx. 12094130947139047 times while reading)

What can you expect from this book:
grumpy/sunshine, musicians, found family, tension, duets, (not) love songs and so much more! Truly an AMAZING book and all that I could've hoped for <3

Now coming to some minor spoilers:
I LOVED how Xander and Gwen had the perfect mix of uplifting and rightfully criticising each other when one of them was either 1. too much IN their head OR 2. too much OVER their head.
Both of them were complex and sometimes complicated characters, that just could not help themselves against the attraction sizzling between them. Their dialogue was just perfection and I CANNOT wait for Julie Soto's next book. A definite reading-highlight of 2024 and you should NOT wait to pick it up as soon as it hits shelfs in June!!!! I would even suggest RUNNING to your nearest bookstore ;)


Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Where do I begin with this book, I read Forget Me Not back in February and instantly fell in love with Julie Sotos's writing, I was ecstatic to see that Not Another Love Song was available to read, I snatched it up so quick. In Not Another Love Song we meet Gwen and Xander, their chemistry is off the charts and I couldn't help but giggle the entire time reading their interactions. Soto writes rivals to lovers so well and the music references made me want to go on YouTube and listen to some classical songs, if you are looking for a fun and spicy romance with characters you are going to fall in love with then pick this up you will not regret it.

I am so happy to say that I absolutely adored this book. I have read some of Julie's fanfiction and her debut novel and I am a fan of her work so this comes as no surprise really, but I think this is my favorite. I think each character in this book is constructed thoughtfully and our two MC's are exceptional. Gwen and Xander are rivals that turn to lovers and it couldn't be any more swoon-worthy and I am here for every single second of it. You can feel the sexual tension, you can hear the vibrations of the speakers as they practice and the feelings it conjures. Oof, it is hot as hades. I will say I was a little worried around the 3/4 mark that something was going to go amiss but the way Julie ties it all up really works. I am so excited to have read this Advanced copy and will definitely be recommending it and buying the physical copy when it comes out. My only disappointment is that now I have to wait for Julie to write more so for now, I'll have to go back and read some of her other works to satisfy my soul.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever and Julie Soto for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gwen is a self-taught musical prodigy who has been playing violin in the Manhattan pops orchestra for 4 years. She was nurtured by a shop owner, who was also a surrogate mother figure to her as she lost both her parents at a young age. At the age of 23 she is offered the first chair when legendary Ava Fitzgerald decides to step down.

Zander Thorne is also a musical prodigy and rock celebrity who has been a cellist in the Manhattan pops for the past year and also tours with his band Thorne and Roses. (think Lindsey Sterling strings rock band)

When Gwen performs at a wedding that Zander is in, she is shocked Zander has no idea who she is even though they have been working together for the past year but her shock turns to humiliation when he critiques her performance. Ugh- what a jerk!

Their hostility for each other grows partly because Zander has secretly wanted the first chair position that Gwen now has and even though they don't like each other they respect each other's musical abilities. They also have steamy chemistry onstage which causes them to be a big draw. As they continue working with each other, their chemistry bleeds offstage and they must figure out how they can make it work when their ultimate goals are so different.

I devoured this book. The scalding chemistry, the world of music, the characters. It was everything I loved in a book. Julie Soto allows you to peak into the world of music without any prior musical education or background needed.

P.S. That Cello scene…

Notes:
This book was read through a netgalley Digital ARC (my first one!)
Author: Julie Soto- I loved Forget Me Not and anything she writes will be on the top of my list from now on.
Genre: Romance
Troupe
Rivals to lovers

Thank you NetGally for the ARC!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Version: ARC from Netgalley, Kindle eBook

Honestly, I needed something fun and fresh to pull me back into reading and this was an excellent option for me. I have Forget Me Not on my shelf waiting to be read but this is the first Julie Soto book for me.

I really loved how fast paced this was. I appreciated that the story didn’t linger in one place too long or draw out a scene. I really loved Gwen but honestly, everyone treated Gwen like a child and it got exhausting by the end.

Everyone tells Gwen she doesn’t know the full story. Then everyone refuses to elaborate on what that means. That is like most of this plot. And honestly the spice scenes did not do it for me. I was a band kid and I never had those desires lol.

The was really fun and I appreciated the rivalry between Xander and Gwen. I appreciated their relationship and chemistry so much. I really rooted for them and understood their struggles and I just loved them, okay? They were the best parts!

I think the rest of it didn’t land as well for me and thats okay. I’m still going to read Forget Me Not and follow Julie Soto’s books. This book was good! Just not 100% exactly for me.

Wow, wow, WOW. As if the orchestra and sound of beautiful music isn’t sexy enough, these two bring it to another level. I quite literally couldn’t put this book down, and I can’t wait to buy the hard copy.

The complexities of Alex/Xander and Gwen were beautiful. It can be difficult to navigate your own thoughts and personal relationships when the people closest to you are heavily manipulating your life. I also really appreciated the stress that Alex was under, having his every move viewed under a microscope. That kind of pressure is difficult to handle, and I loved the way he grew throughout the story.

The heat was off the charts, and I loved the enemies to lovers/he falls first/workplace romance/friends to lovers vibes going on. So, so beautiful! 5/5.

BRB as I start my reread

4.75 rounded up for this romcom with a musical perspective! It was a nice peek into the world of orchestra, violins and cello but in a really fun/crafty/sexy way. The plot was great, the banter and spice was fantastic. This was my first book from this author and it won’t be my last. This is also my first experience with NetGalley and I am super excited to do many more of these!!! (This book comes out in July 2024) Highly recommend this book. The MMC is up there with top book boyfriends IMO.

I was looking forward this book the most but I just couldn’t get through it. I did not like the writing, it felt like it needed “more” (it wasn’t rich). And the plot was,,, not what I expected to be honest. I feel really torn.

okay wow wow wow! i loved “forget me not” so much especially that first read and this one blew me away! it had so much passion and tension and juiciness! i was absolutely kicking my feet and giggling bc wow this shit was HAWT! i dont know much about classical music but these two were making it seem mighty interesting i will tell u that much. i lowkey feel like xander’s band fame was kinda a lot for an instrumental rock band??? but idk it isnt my genre so perhaps this is more popular than i think. either way, this is a must read! i flew through it! thanks to netgalley for providing an arc on this—this is my honest review. im so happy i didnt have to wait a few more months so if this isnt on your book release list, add it asap!

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD IM SO HONORED FOR MY COPY!!! i haven't read a julie soto book yet but i have been meaning to and im so glad i got this one!! it was the perfect step into her writing, a perfect mix of romance with silly banter and lots of feelings and the spiciest tension! i was obsessed! loved the progression of their relationship, altho would've loved to see more depth here and there. but again its just a romcom, not expecting jane austen level expertise. i thought this was fun, fast-paced, a little spicy, a little sweet, and everything in between. definitely unique (musicians are something i rarely see in romance) and am so excited to get into more julie soto!!! LIKE THIS WAS SO FUNSIES!!!

This story was incredible. This absolutely trumps my love for Forget Me Not, but I enjoyed the small cameos!
Julie captured the essence of music and explains it so vividly that I feel in love with instrumental music by just reading this story.
I did not know you could capture a love this way but BRAVO Soto did!

I love that it was not cliche. Gwen was discovering herself and in the process there was so many voices that tried to sway her in unfavorable positions but she stuck to her core gut instinct and morals. She taught Xander in a way too.

I know Soto LOVES Taylor Swift so I cracked up from the underlying tone of Swiftie. The correlation of Xander's master to Swift's was icing on the cake. I ACTUALLY predicted this. Especially since they reference Scooter lol.

I was dying to read this and was lucky that it was not an April Fools joke to read this.
It's been almost three months since I devoured a book in a day but WOWZER get ready for July everyone!

This is a MUST TBR read

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Soto for making it available for everyone to read. I loved their sizzling chemistry and their appreciation of each other and their talents. I loved all of the musical descriptions of the pieces they performed and the way those musical descriptions were also included in describing them falling in love and making love. This was my first Julie Soto book and I will definitely be reading more.

I suspected pretty early on that this would end up being a 5 star read, and I was not wrong (I also stayed up way too late finishing the book, but what's life without a few bad decisions?)
The tension was delicious, delectable, unputdownable. I honestly love everything about this. The characters leapt off the page, and maybe it's the fact that I have a little musical background myself, but I felt every imaginary note down to my core. What do you mean, none of this is real? Yeah, I refuse to believe that.
I'll be very, very surprising if this book doesn't make it into my 2024 favorites.


Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

I can't thank Julie and her publisher enough for making this e-ARC so widely available because I was having a bad day and I absolutely devoured this book. This was an excellent romance novel and ticked all of my boxes:

✅ Great character dynamics
✅ Excellent smut
✅ Interesting plot (so much orchestra drama 😂)
✅ Good plot-to-smut ratio
✅ Emotional payoff
✅ Fantastic cast of characters
✅ The conflict didn’t hinge on any of my pet peeves (like secondhand embarrassment or endless miscommunication)

Anyway, Julie Soto is rapidly becoming my favorite romance author and I can’t wait for her next one 🥺💖

4.5/5
Really enjoyed this book. The slow burn between the characters was worth the wait. My only critique (and maybe because I have an ARC) was that the flashback scenes needed to be a bit more set apart. It was sometimes a little difficult to discern if the character was in the present or the past.

Thank you NetGalley and Julie Soto for letting me read this book early!!

I had extremely high hopes that this book would be as good as her previous book, Forget Me Not, and I was not disappointed. Julie has a way of writing that makes the characters jump out of the page. I loved Xander and Gwen! I laughed and cried and felt every tense and awkward moment through them! They both grew so much throughout the story. And the name drop was so satisfying! I can’t wait to reread it when I get my physical copy!!

Thank you NetGalley and Julie Soto for the chance to read this book.

Julie Soto does it again. She takes my heart, she runs with it, hurts it a little, and then heals it right back up.

I know zero about music, orchestras or instruments, but this book puts you right into that environment and you get lost in it. Everything about this book was beautiful and I am in love.

Alex, I love you.

What a masterpiece (wink wink). I haven't squealed, giggled, screamed, kicked my feet since I read my last 5-star book.

We have Gwen who was promoted to First Chair in the orchestra and while Xander who was vying for the same position was casted aside. However, they both formed an inevitable connection through their music and much more.

I’m no expert when it comes to music, classical or otherwise but I felt so connected to the story and the music, it felt like I was listening to whatever they were playing. The whole tension, their banter and chemistry felt so raw and powerful. It really made me feel like I’m inside the book.

I understand the significance of the book cover (iykyk) and it literally made my jaw dropped. The cameo from Ama and Elliot is so nice to see.

I know Julie Soto can do no wrong, and may I say this is so much better than Forget Me Not. I love this book sm. I literally woke up from my bed to download this book from NetGalley lol.

Will def reread once the book officially came out.

<i>4.25/5 stars</i>

Thank you x1,000,000 to Netgalley, Forever, Julie Soto, and every person ever to allow me to have an early copy of this book.

If you don't know me: Hi, my name is Emi, and romance books and me don't really vibe most of the time, even though I want us too sooo bad. But Julie Soto and me? I think we're soulmates, actually. Forget Me Not is one of my favorite romances ever. And this book? Ahhhhhhhhhh.

(I'm terms of me rating books, me rating a romance a 4.25 is equvilant to me rating any other book like 7 stars)

The characters? The tension? The music? I need a moment to collect my thoughts because they are all over the place. But I loved it, sooo much.

There was like one scene that was so cheesy and Y/N, which took me out of the book just a bit, and right before that, I was starting to wonder if something was going to happen. But the rest of it? You'll love it. Read a Julie Soto book.