This is my first ever musicians romance and it’ll definitely not be my last! Perfect balance of emotional depth and spice. I can’t wait to read more from this author

I was so excited for this book because Forget Me Not was one of my favorite reads in 2023. Unfortunately, I had some mixed feelings on Not Another Love Song.

What I LOVED:
- The glimpses/connections to Elliot and Ama (I just love them)
- The story being centered around playing music and the passion it requires
- The tension between the main characters and their chemistry

What I was "eh" on:
- Xander was just plan rude and malicious at times making it difficult to like his character as a whole
- Gwen was naive a LOT
- I found myself drifting while reading because the pacing was a little slow

Regardless, I did still enjoy the story and am looking forward to her next book whenever that is!

I loved the witty banter and emotion in this book! I have not read many books with a musical aspect like this one so for me, it provided a very cool element to the story. Grumpy x sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, and this really hit the nail on the head. I’d like to read more by the author.

Overall 🌟 5/5
Audiobook 🎧 5/5, mostly female narrator
Spice 🌶️ 5/5 Explicit and Plentiful
Insta-lust > Slow Burn
Setting: Manhattan
Tropes: “enemies” to lovers, smart/gifted MCs, rich boy/poor girl, found family.

FMC Gwen, 22, Violinist
MMC Alex, 26, Cellist

Yes, the story would’ve been more believable if they both were 4 years older, but it’s fine. The spice wasn’t kinky, but good build up, well written.

I don’t play an instrument and I found this book to be accessible/not too high brow. I definitely want to go to a Vitamin String Quartet concert now.

I’m sure if you’re classically trained, you’d be irritated by some inaccuracies, but I’m choosing to give Julie Soto grace, because it really is an original story idea that was well written.

This audiobook quickly became one of the rare library checkouts I needed to buy my own copy of after listening to it. I’m kicking myself because I had an ARC copy of the ebook from NetGalley months ago, but didn’t get past 10%. Not the book’s fault, I just strongly prefer audiobooks these days. Everything in this review are my own opinions.

Find me on Reddit & IG. Reading_in_Bed789

I adored this book. I loved everything about Gwen & Xander. I'm a complete sucker for a story about people who are very talented/skilled at what they do. And the tension and slow build! Gah! This was so well done. I will officially be reading every single thing that Julie Soto writes from here on out.

Julie Soto has a way of making you feel so immersed in her stories without it feeling forced.

Her ability to create knuckle biting chemistry is unmatched. Even though you hope the characters will end up having an HEA, she keeps you on your toes until the very last page.

Xander is... (insert heart eyes emoji)

I simply enjoyed this book!

I love Julie Soto books so much! This is full of all the best angst and somehow makes a pop orchestra sexy.

This will be featured soon in a post, but I posted several Instagram stories leading up to release.

Julie Soto is fantastic! I devoured this and loved every second of it. She does so well with feelings - especially this angst and writing about characters that are incredibly passionate about their craft. Well done!

I will read anything and everything Julie Soto writes. This book was exactly what I wanted. All the pining and the tension and the perfect pacing.

10/10

Julie Soto’s *Not Another Love Song* is a heartfelt romance that hits all the right notes. The story revolves around a rising singer-songwriter, Angie, who’s determined to make it big without losing her artistic soul to the music industry. Along the way, she navigates the turbulent waters of love, ambition, and self-discovery, with Soto weaving an engaging tale of passion and vulnerability.

What makes this book stand out is Soto's ability to create characters that are not only relatable but human. Angie is a wonderful protagonist—strong, determined, and refreshingly flawed. Her journey toward balancing love and ambition feels authentic and rooted in real emotional stakes. The chemistry between Angie and her love interest is palpable, yet Soto avoids cliché, bringing depth to their relationship that feels real and earned.

The novel also excels in its portrayal of the music world. Soto vividly captures the highs and lows of pursuing a career in the arts, from the exhilaration of success to the fear of losing one’s identity in the process. The balance between romance and Angie’s professional journey is handled masterfully, making the story about much more than just love—it's also about staying true to oneself.

A must-read for those who appreciate a strong, independent female lead and a story with heart and substance. Soto has crafted a book that is as much about finding love as it is about finding yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

This is my first book by this author, and I’m definitely interested in reading others!

Gwen is a dedicated violinist working in an orchestra. She also does weddings on the side, and one gig in particular ends up changing her life. Gwen shows up to a wedding ready to play the piano, only to find out that she is expected to play the cello. Gwen hasn’t played the cello in years, but she’s willing to give it her best shot because she can’t afford to lose the money from the gig. Only, Gwen has a violin with her, not a cello. Luckily, a member of the wedding party has a cello she can borrow- belonging to none other than Xander, a musician in one of Gwen’s favorite bands. Xander also happens to be a member of the same orchestra Gwen works for, despite him not remembering or recognizing her. Gwen is of course nervous to play the cello in front of a cello prodigy, but her performance definitely gets her noticed by him, for more reasons than one.

Xander sees Gwen’s potential and recognizes her rising talent. However, when Gwen is offered the coveted position of first chair in the orchestra, the basically non existent relationship between the two changes. As Xander and Gwen get to know each other better, they connect through their art and even help each other become better musicians. Their connection grows personally as well, revealing intense feelings that complicate things. At the same time, Gwen learns more about the orchestra she works for, discovering that things are not completely as they seem.

I really enjoyed Gwen and Xander’s story, and I liked them together but also as individual characters. Gwen was a likable character with a unique background, and Xander’s life is interesting and surprising as well. I always tend to enjoy stories that center around music, but it’s been a bit since I’ve read a book where the characters are violinists or cellists instead of members of a wildly successful group. There were some charming supporting characters too, like Maggie, who started off in Gwen’s life as her violin teacher and ended up being essentially a guardian, definitely a part of Gwen’s life and possibly the only one she’s had looking out for her for a long time.

I would describe this book as having grumpy/sunshine, and I think anyone who enjoys that trope should pick this one up. Even if you aren’t a fan of grumpy/sunshine, this one has plenty of other aspects that would be enjoyable to any romance fan.

I really wanted to like this book more but I just didn’t feel invested in the characters. The love story didn’t feel developed to me, and it seemed a lot like mostly lust, which didn’t read bad at all, but I just wasn’t as invested. The spice was well done, but I didn’t feel the emotional connection to the characters. This was enjoyable but just wasn’t my favorite. The relationship felt so focused on one aspect of their lives, music, which was a very unique connection.

I loved this book so much! The scenes where Gwen and Xander were playing music together it was very moving. There's definitely an emotional connection between the characters. As the reader I felt connected to them and was rooting for them all the way. I loved Gwen and Xander's chemistry and their musicality really outshine when they're playing together. Highly recommend!

Loved!!! I never knew I was so into string instruments, but here we are. I loved these characters and their story, there was so much tension I almost died. I would say the pace was a little wonky - I flew through the first 75% and then the last bit slowed down a lot. But overall, amazing 4.5 stars

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off: THIS COVER?! This cover is perfection.

And second, Julie Soto made me want to play a string instrument hard core. This woman can write ‘em y’all.

The tension. The pining. The spice. All fantastically done! Please, I beg of you, pick this baddie of a book up! Just make sure you fan off after

This book walks the line between omg who knew strings could be so sexy and god damn enough with the instruments already. Thankfully it lives in the former for 86% of the story. THE TENSION between these two off stage but also on stage was so high. I loved that Alex and Gwen challenged each other, to be the best versions of themselves, to never become comfortable, but mostly to grow.
I really liked the twist on Alex’s POV, there’s not a lot and they are short but they helped me get into his head enough. The pining that comes from this man- yes please. Do yourself a favor and listen to the playlist- it’s beautiful. I’ve listened to book inspired playlists before, but never while reading (I usually need quiet) so this was a new experience and one I definitely enjoyed. Between this and FMN I’ve fallen in love with Julie Soto’s writing.

For the love of all things holy—-I got an epic sunburn bc I couldn’t move from my spit at the beach until I finished this book. And now THAT ONE scene lives rent free in my head. It JS writes it, I will read it!

4.0 Stars

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Julie Soto for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

After not being much of a fan of Julie Soto’s first novel, I was a bit hesitant and nervous to pick this book up, but also looking forward to giving this author another chance. AND BOY AM I SO GRATEFUL I DID! Not Another Love Song was beautiful, emotional, sexy, touching, full of tension, and an overall big fat hug.

The chemistry between Gwen and Alex/Xander was… delicious! I ate up every minute. I am an avid fan of all music, but never in my life would I think there could be so much steam during orchestra practice and performances!

This will absolutely be a future reread for me! I am excited for more of what Julie Soto has to offer following this!

P.s. Was it just me or was there something going on between Ava and Mabel?? This is my petition for a book between the two of them!

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:

E-book/Audiobook

Pace:

Fast/Medium

Cover thoughts:

GORGEOUS!!! I feel the tension between them in the cover alone!

Triggers:

Mentions of Death, Illness, Toxic Relationships, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Content, Grief, Minor hint of Classism, etc.

Super cute! My first book by this author. I am a huge music lover so I loved that aspect of the book and the romance was cute! There were some weird parts so it was not five stars for me but definitely would recommend to a friend!

I loved Forget Me Not and had high expectations for this one. I was sadly very disappointed. The first part was great, but the book quickly lost steam and by the end I found it disjointed and exceptionally contrived. I also know that this book started as a Reylo fanfiction and it was not nearly enough removed from those origins, I say that as a Reylo fanfic reader and lover. I just expected so much more out of this book and found myself so very bummed by the execution.