Julie Soto, the way you write romantic tension is unmatched!

I absolutely loved this book, and the way I was starving for the POV shifts was unreal. Do I wish there had been more in there? Absolutely.

But really, this was such a good book. I wanted to go to every single one of these orchestra performances. The LOOKS these two were giving each other across the stage.

Anyway, the cello playing scene is as good as everyone says. Thank you for your service, Julie.

Whew, this book was great! Julie Soto did a magnificent job of building the tension. Gwen is a self-taught violinist and Xander is a cellist from a family full of classical musical talent, and when Gwen gets the coveted First Chair position, animosity and a simmering tension ensues.
I personally am not musically inclined, but Soto's writing really brought the musical elements of this story alive and paralleled with Gwen and Xander's growing tension was absolutely great. Can't wait to read more by Julie Soto!
Thank you Forever for the copy through NetGalley.

I fear that I am now in love with a fictional man named Alex. I don’t know how Gwen even survived. He had me blushing just reading this. I love him so much. The way he flirted and showed his feelings with music… I can’t 🤭🥰
I’m kind of sad it took me this long to read this. This was such a great read! I really love how much music was involved too. I love when people (even fictional people) are incredibly passionate about something like music, dance, or art. I like how this book showed two different journeys in this cutthroat world. So good! Oh, and the spice was spicing 🔥 if you like romance, read this if you haven’t!

I think Julie Soto has officially become a one-click author for me!

I really enjoyed this. Gwen and Xander were perfection and I eat UP the arrogant mmc/wallflower fmc combo. Loved their progression and growth as characters and the tension was chef's kiss!

I'll definitely be recommending this one. Thank you so much for the ARC!

I spent days thinking about this book after I read it. The cello scene is indeed a steamy stand out but can we talk about how obsessed Xander is with Gwen? This man is frothing at the mouth. These two musicians, gifted and talented in different ways, want the same thing but in different fonts. It causes friction, banter, belligerent sexual tension, and musical scene descriptions that are just beautiful, sensual, and immersive. I never knew I needed a romance about two rival strings musicians until now. I literally read this in one sitting.

tropes: rivals to lovers, he falls first, belligerent sexual tension, workplace romance, found family

5 ⭐️
4 🌶

This book was so sweet and cute and I loved it. This was my first Julie Soto book and I will be reading the others asap. I also will be getting a physical copy and recommending to everyone :)

My first Julie Soto but it will not be my last! I found this story to be very compelling and I very much enjoyed the balance between the plot and the romance development. The character journeys felt realistic for their age and experience. There is a scene with a cello that will now live rent free in my mind! I’d recommend this book to my friends, especially those familiar with the show Mozart in the Jungle!

I’m obsessed with this book! Julie Soto delivers a tension-filled, swoony romance that had me reading nonstop—even during a safari in Africa. Xander and Gwen’s chemistry is electric, and the way their love unfolds through music is breathtaking. The spice is 🔥 but deeply emotional, and the writing made me feel every note.

The writing is lush and immersive. The musical world was so vividly brought to life I swear I could hear the notes echoing off the page. Julie Soto’s ability to translate music into emotional storytelling is something truly special. And while the romance is front and center, the themes of self-expression, vulnerability, and finding your place shine just as brightly.

It’s sexy, smart, and full of heart. The music, the slow burn, the banter—it all sings. My only complaint? I wish the third act conflict had a bit more emotional unpacking, but the ending still melted me. A new favorite. 🎻❤️‍🔥

Not Another Love Song is packed with everything I've come to expect from Julie Soto: Brooding, grumpy MCs, FMCs full of personality, unique circumstances, and spice that will have you sweating. The backdrop of the Pops orchestra was inspired. I truly believe there's nothing hotter than people being exceptional at what they do, and you get a double dose of that between Xander and Gwen. Their passion individually, but especially together, led to a delicious dynamic.

As every review will say, the cello scene? THE cello scene? A masterclass in Julie Soto spice 🫠🤌

That said, some of the tropes/relationship dynamics utilized throughout the story are personally not my favorite. I wanted to see more of Gwen creating a path that was truly her own and felt really disappointed by the ending in that regard . Those issues hindered my enjoyment and dropped this beneath a 4 star for me, but I know it's a beloved dynamic for many readers so I chalk this up to mostly a personal issue. Still well written, kept me captured, and would definitely recommend, but not always my cup of tea!

I finished this a while ago but forgot to post my review here. I loveeee Julie solos writing so much. I read forget me not & immediately wanted to devour more of her writing. This was so unique & fun. The tension in this was insaaaane. I loved the musical aspect to this book, it was beautifully done. While this had a bit more smut than what I tend to read- the plot didn’t REVOLVE around the spicy stuff which I appreciated. The romance was beautifully done & captivating. 💜

I adored Forget Me Not and was thrilled to get the eARC. Unfortunately, for me, this book didn’t hit the same. The relationship felt very insta-love as it seemed to come out of nowhere (there wasn’t really any yearning, just unkind behaviour from the MMC and avoidance from the FMC). A lot of the plot points developed unrealistically and felt placed just for plot progression vs in depth connection to the story. Bummed out I didn’t love this more.

Julie Soto hits all the right notes, again. She somehow manages to create characters that get me so attached, I cannot put her books down- but then it’s over too quickly and I’m left lamenting that their story is over.

I don’t often buy books, but I so far have kindle AND physical copies of each one of Julie’s works- and the new ones are preordered in much anticipation.

I was so so excited for this book because I LOVED Julie Soto's debut. But unfortunately I really struggled with this one. I didn't enjoy the romance, or the main characters. All of it frustrated me. I could see the intention behind the story, but it sadly fell very flat for me. The main character seemed very naive, and that made it difficult to root for her sometimes. I wanted to love this. I truly did. But this one was not for me. I've heard other people loved it, but it's not one I would recommend.

3.5 Star Rounded Up

I received an advanced copy of Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto from the publisher Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but the lives they have led are totally different. Xander grew up amongst musical royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear that was nurtured by a kind shop owner after the loss of her own family. The two of them are both part of the same orchestra. However, when Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, it soon becomes clear Xander never took any notice of Gwen and to make matters worse, his first words are a critique. When Gwen is offered the role as first chair of their orchestra, a role Xander has always wanted, their hostility has been lit even more. Soon they find a respect for each other’s music, an undeniable performance chemistry, leading to a growing relationship.

My Thoughts: This romance felt super unique to me. This book is kind of a rivals to lover, our main male character is gruff to the extent he initially rubbed me the wrong way. The book starts off with Xander being very condescending to our female main character. I really liked Gwen and related to her, a lot, she’s lost a lot in her life, she was orphaned when she was young and music filled the gap, but while she is considered to be a prodigy, she has always valued the connections to people over her talent. This balance between being a prodigy and living up to your potential and the conflict with wanting things that might not be the best for your career was done so well. I really loved watching Xander fall in love with Gwen, because he grows so much as a character. The way Soto writes makes me sympathetic for an imperfect character and that’s an accomplishment. Some of the things that I didn’t love were the third act break-up, it was a bit ridiculous. The other thing that broke up the writing for me was showing the viewpoint of Xander, I didn’t feel it added anything. Overall, a solid romance.

Who Should Read It: People who love rivals to lovers books. People who love books about prodigies

Summary: Two musical prodigies find love with one another.

I really enjoyed Forget Me Not as an original novel, but if I hadn't picked up Not Another Love Song in the full expectation that I was reading a Reylo fic that exemplifies a lot of what was popular during the period in which it was published, I wouldn't have liked it as much as I did. Knowing that going in, however, it was definitely enough fun that I'd check out another of Julie Soto's contemporaries in the future! (Although not her forthcoming serial-numbers-filed off famous Dramione romantasy, because once was enough and there's no possible execution that will fix the premise enough to make me interested in ever revisiting that story again.) Recommended to fans of sexy, angsty romances starring classical musicians, with thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest if belated review.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. After originally DNFing I kept seeing great reviews online and decided to give it another shot. I absolutely loved Julie Sotos Forget Me Not so I was originally so excited for this one, however it fell really flat for me. Just because I didn’t like it though, doesn’t mean it won’t be a book someone else is obsessed with. Overall, nothing was sticking out for me personally and for that I give it a 2 stars.

Forget Me Not was an unexpected five star read for me last year when I read it so I was really excited to read this one.

I loved the cameos from the couple in Forget Me Not and getting to know the friend group and side characters. The romance was really sweet and I love when he falls first and falls harder I think its so so cute! I will be picking up all of this authors romances and could see myself dabbling in her other books as well.

Definitely recommend, just know that it is SPICY. 4.5 stars rounded up!

3.5 ⭐️
What a charming and heartfelt romance. It follows Lila, a woman caught between her dreams and the expectations placed on her. Set in the world of music, the story delves into themes of self-discovery, love, and finding one's voice. Soto’s writing captures the complexities of relationships and personal growth with humor and depth. The chemistry between the characters is real and engaging. It's a refreshing take on love, identity, and following your passion.

This is my second Julie Soto book. I loved Forget Me Not, so I was very excited to jump back into her storytelling. I really enjoyed the flow/ease of her writing, as well as the tension she built between the main characters. Unfortunately, this story fell very flat for me.

There were a lot of misses in the plot. I wished she would have given more in certain places (building the emotional relationship) and less in others (too many plot lines with little connection/development).

I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Julie Soto's debut, Forget Me Not, and it is still one of my favorite contemporary romance to this day. I was so excited to read her next book. While Forget Me Not is still a tiny bit above this one for me, I absolutely enjoyed Not Another Love Song. Musician rivals to lovers? Mysterious and broody MMC? He's obsessed with her in secret? So much tension you could cut it with a knife? Sign me up! I just loved when the two main characters have opposite personalities but complete each other perfectly, and this was the case with Gwen and Xander. The way he helped her get more confident and see how great of a musician she is and how she was able to ground him and help him see what really matters was so beautiful. I don't know that much about music, but Julie Soto wrote about it so lovingly, I couldn't help but care about it too.