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.

well, i’m officially a julie soto fan. forget me not was my first five star read of 2024, and one of the few second chance books i didn’t loathe. not another love song is joining the ranks of my 2024 favorites as well.

alex/xander’s point of view was sprinkled in just enough to get a better feel for his character since he wasn’t exactly verbose, and gwen was just great. it took them forever to figure it out, but the tension was stifling and i enjoyed it so much. these characters LIVE by their music, and they also screw by it too. my brief stint as a flute player in middle school band didn’t adequately prepare me for the way they spoke of the music, but context clues were enough to get by without taking away from the story.

5 ⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! The chemistry between the characters was electric, and I was hooked right from the start!

The story follows the journey of Gwen who is a violinist at Manhattan Pops (loosely based of the orchestra The New York Pops). Enter Alex, also known as Xander, who first notices Gwen when she performs at a wedding planned by Ama Torres from the previous book. Never mind that Alex has been performing with Gwen for almost a year at Manhattan Pops.
While Gwen has always been a fan of Xander's music, she is not a fan of his attitude. After their interaction at the wedding, Alex is so captivated by Gwen and her music that he can't seem to get Gwen out of his mind.
Things become even more complicated when Gwen is offered the first chair position, a role that Alex also covets.

The book is mostly written from the Gwen's POV with intermittent chapters with Alex's POV. Despite this, it is evident that Alex is utterly consumed by his feelings for Gwen. The longing and the yearning is palpable throughout the story

I think I found this book to be even better than the first one. It is incredible to think that this book was rejected 50 times as mentioned by Julie Soto. If you have lived in NYC you will love this book even more. Hats off to Julie Soto for capturing the vibe of the city so beautifully. The references to subway trains, traveling on New Jersey Transit, and iconic landmarks such as Brooklyn's Botanic garden, and neighborhoods of Upper East side , Washington Heights, Queens painted such a vivid picture of the city <3

Positively addictive! Loved our protagonists Gwen and Xander who are flawed and complex but all too relatable in their struggle for professional acclaim and deeper connections. The way Soto weaved their growing relationship left me breathless. I was laughing, I was crying, I was feeling EVERYTHING right along with them. As someone with no musical talents, this book had me desperately wishing I could listen to the original symphonies dreamed up by these characters myself. I know I’ll be yelling about this story for years to come!

From the moment I started Not Another Love Song; I knew I was in for a ride. Xander and Gwen, our two main characters, are talented string players whose shared passion forms the backdrop for their charming romance. Reading about Gwen’s character felt like I was reading about my long-lost twin. She was so relatable, and that was one of my favorite parts of this book. This story unfolds like a beautiful symphony, filled with passion, tension, and undeniable chemistry. It was spectacular!

This was my first novel by Julie Soto, and I am immediately going to be picking up Forget Me Not!
Thank you, Julie Soto, and Forever Publishing for giving me the chance to read this ARC!

*My review will be posted to Amazon on publishing day.