This was the first book by Julie Soto I had the chance to read and I am excited to explore her backlog as well as her new books. I liked the way that music was integrated into the story and I look forward to reading her next project!

I love Julie Soto’s writing. Her characters just come to life for me. This book gave me butterflies and honestly that’s all that matters.

One thing that Julie Soto does exceptionally well passion. I have read Not Another Love Song, as well as, her previous Forget Me Not, and let me tell you, I love the way she does spice.

Not Another Love Song is gorgeous with its musical elements that make you feel something the way music does, without ever being able to hear the music.

I think this book brings something different to the table while continuing to land in popular romance structure

This was a phenomenal story. The spice was excellent but the emotions and the connections between the characters was also astounding. I keep thinking about this book long after I finished it.

“‘If you don’t want to be with me, together with me, I can understand,’ he said, and she felt her knees wobble. ‘But, Gwen, please make music with me. I need you in my life. I need to be in your orbit in some way, and if you don’t want me to touch you and kiss you and fuck you, then let me make love to you onstage every night because it’s the most alive I’ve felt in ten years.’” - Julie Soto, Not Another Love Song
🎻
I have been ruined about a book of two musicians. I screamed, squealed, and bawled in my car listening to this. Out of all the Reylo fanfiction I end up reading on accident, this might have become my favorite. The contestants include a consent KING, a fantastic main character, hilarious best friends, fun cameos, and a cello scene that altered my brain chemistry.
🎼
Gwen is a violinist at the Manhattan Pops orchestra, across from a member of her favorite band, Thorne an Roses. But he’s never noticed her before. Not until she plays cello at his best friends wedding, which is not her instrument. When she’s offered first chair violin at the pops, he’s furious for reasons unknown, but the music is just starting. She becomes his muse, and all she can do is try to stay in tune with herself for fear she will lose herself to his music.
🎹
This book was magnificent. I listened to most of it, but I had to finish the rest in book form because I had to find out what happened. I gobbled this up and am in love with it. I want to read it again right now.
♾️/⭐️

This book made me want to pick my flute back up and start playing it again. A cello and violinist fighting for the centre stage in Pops Orchestra. Gwen is offered first chair and position Xander secretly coveted. The tension between the two were soo good that I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you Forever and netgalley for an arc.

After Forget Me Not I needed this story!!! And Julie Soto didn’t disappoint. I will be picking up all her books in the future!

Having found this author through fanfic that was a little dark, it’s amazing to experience her style of writing evolve into fun rom coms as a published author. I really enjoyed reading this one and can’t wait to read more of her published works as she works on them. I have both of the releases on my shelf currently and I’m sure I’ll continue collecting. :)

🎻💕 Book Review: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto 🎻💕

Two musicians. One orchestra. Zero chill.
If you're a sucker for rivals-to-lovers and the magic of music, this one's for you. Gwen is a self-taught violinist breaking into the elite world of classical music. Xander? A cello prodigy with a chip on his shoulder. When these two clash in the Manhattan Pops Orchestra, sparks and strings fly. 🎼🔥

Gwen and Xander’s chemistry had me hooked from page one. If you love stories about ambition, complicated feelings, and falling for someone you really didn’t plan to... this one’s for you.

What to expect:

🎻 rivals-to-lovers
🎼 orchestra drama
💥 tension that sizzles
❤️‍🔥 passion that builds with every note

A messy, musical love story that hits all the right notes. Don’t sleep on this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NotAnotherLoveSong #JulieSoto #BookLovers #RomanceReads #EnemiesToLovers #BookstagramRecs #MusicAndLove #BookReview #ReadWithMe #RomComReads

This romance had everything for me; passion, banter, classical musicians...and don't even get me started on *that* cello scene. A perfect hot romantic read!

Another home run for Julie Soto, this romance was a delight to read that I couldn't put down. I loved the characters and unraveling their stories. Rivals to lovers is a great trope and the spicy scenes are SO fun to read. I can't wait to see what she has for us next!

I love Julie Soto - she can do no wrong! Always five stars. This book was steamy and sweet, I was kicking my feet and blushing through the whole thing. What a banger! Ha ha, see what I did there?

FOUR STARS! ****

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really liked this book. The chemistry between Gwen and Xander was great. We love a moody & mysterious man and Xander had that going in spades. I will definitely be one-clicking Julie Soto's next book!

“It’s simple really,” he said. “It’s about a cello who fell in love with a violin.”

⚔️ Rivals to Lovers
🔥 Sloooooow burn
🗣️ Witty banter
🎶 Cellist x Violinist
🌟 Reylo Fanfic

What an absolute delight of a book, especially with this being my first Julie Soto! I never would’ve guessed that this was a Reylo (Kylo Ren x Rey) fanfic based on how phenomenal the chemistry is between Gwen and Xander. The absolutely amazing banter between these two had me kicking my feet and got my heart pounding. I’m a sucker for a good “he fell first” trope and boy oh boy did Xander absolutely wreck me 🤤

I’m not a fan of third act break ups though but Julie’s way of writing their story made it natural and it made sense to the point that I couldn’t be upset by her including it. I highly recommend this book for those that are looking for an atypical cozy/spicy read.

Julie Soto delivers a beautifully written, slow-burn romance set in the world of classical music. Gwen and Xander’s rivals-to-lovers journey is full of tension, longing, and emotional depth. The chemistry is electric, the pacing is perfect, and the orchestral setting adds a unique, elegant backdrop. Some plot points wrap up a bit quickly, but overall, this is a heartfelt, steamy, and satisfying read. Highly recommended for fans of character-driven love stories with just the right amount of spice.

This was interesting to me because I don't know about a lot of instruments outside of piano, and never in a orchestral setting. I do love a good enemies to lovers / forced proximity setup though, so I was here. for. it. and maaaaan the tension between these two! The chemistry! So good!

Read if you like:
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Rivals to Lovers
-Coworkers
- Famous MMC
- He Falls First
- Found Family
- Third Act Break Up
-Third Person POV

I had high hope for this one but i never really got into it.

Even though I wasn't a big fan of the first Soto book (I found it to be fine), I was willing to give another try because so many friends RAVE about her. I don't believe her books are bad... but after reading this one she is definitely not the author for me.

I have never picked up an instrument so my knowledge on the subject is minimal.. and that's kind of how I felt about the author's writing on this subject! The reader is supposed to believe the FMC had no training and gets first chair at age 22??.. there are a lot of other examples like this found in the book and it really took me out of the story. I found it to be cheesy, cringy and read like a fan-fiction.. and Soto really unrealistically portrayed the "struggling artist" trope.

Quite simply, I found the book to be pretty boring and it simply dragged. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and the chemistry? WHERE? There was nothing compelling about this story and I didn't care if they ended up together or not.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC and chance to read and review. All opinions are my own**

Julie Soto’s Not Another Love Song was my first book by her, and I wasn’t sure what to expect—but let me tell you. I devoured that book. My little fingers couldn’t swipe fast enough on my kindle. I was reading it everywhere!

The characters were intense and moody and exactly what I wanted from this type of book. Xander’s backstory was nice and complex and unfolded well. Also Xander and Gwen have really hot names, so it worked for me and their chemistry seemed authentic.

As a trained violinist, I really appreciated how Soto captured the feeling of getting lost in music. She translated that experience beautifully, making it feel as powerful on the page as it does in real life. This book was so good I listened to Apocolyptica and then Yoyo Ma for like 5 hours after. Amazing!

Julie Soto does it again! I couldn’t put this book down!!!! She is now an auto-buy author for me! I love the amount of thought and detail that goes into her books. It is clear she does her research. This really helps draw the reader into the story and makes you feel immersed in the characters’ lives !

As a music-lover whose favorite date nights tend to include going to see musicals and symphony orchestra performances (especially pops concerts), this book was right up my alley! I found it very romantic and full of passion. Music (epically orchestral music) can be very moving and can express moments and feelings in a way that words cannot. This book captured that concept well. Plus, Strings have always been my favorite! Like her last book, Forget Me Not, this book hit a sweet spot for me. I loved it!

The story was told in 3rd person, mostly following Gwen’s POV; however, I loved the mini-chapters sprinkled in that followed Alex’s POV! I loved that the MMC was completely mesmerized by the FMC and that she was his muse. The tensionnnnn. The yearninggggg. 😍 This book had me swooning and blushing. The spice scenes??🔥🔥🔥

Both the MMC and FMC felt relatable to me in some ways, especially struggles with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and learning to pursue their own happiness. This book also had interesting side characters! I also enjoyed the brief cameos of Ama and Elliot from Forget Me Not!

*Sidenote: This was another Reylo inspired story and I am so here for it! How fitting it is that I finished reading this book on the same day my husband booked us tickets to see an orchestra play Star Wars music on May 4th haha. 😉

I was SO thrilled to receive this ARC!!! Thank you to Julie Soto, Netgalley, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! 💗