Julie does it yet again. I ate this book up so quickly, and I almost regret it because I wish it would have lasted longer.

I had the honour of working with Julie on a promotional campaign for her first book, *Forget Me Not*, through my job at Fable last year. Yes, obviously she’s an amazing author, but she’s also an AMAZING person. It was such a pleasure to chat with her about how she came to create Ama and Elliot’s characters and their love story.

Hence, I was obviously thrilled to hear that Julie was writing another romcom — and a music-focused one at that!! *Not Another Love Song* did NOT disappoint. I easily fell in love with Xander and Gwen, their individual backstories, and the way the eventually lead to each other.

The chemistry between these two was, seriously, out of this world. Yes, there is the Grumpy X Sunshine trope, but Xander comes around relatively quickly. The second these two get to spend some time alone, he becomes positively enamoured with Gwen and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He respects her art so, *so,* much, and it was amazing to see both of them creating music together eventually.

The plot itself was also so interesting. It made me realize that I haven’t really taken the care to curate a TBR list that includes a lot of music-focused books. I think that’s because I’ve had some bad experiences with them in the past. I’ve read a few “pop star romance” books in the past, and they always fell a bit flat for me. Maybe because they felt too fake for me? I don’t quite know how to put it, but I *do* know that *Not Another Love Song* made me realize that, when the story is written exceptionally well, I can fall into these types of stories without even trying to.
While I may not be a musician, the musical descriptions that Julie provides were easy to understand (even if I did have to make a few Google searches every now and then). I can’t tell you how much I loved this. Everything fell together so nicely. I found that every aspect of this book hit the spot for me, and I’m incredibly grateful it did, because its made it into one of my favorites books.

Just… the *tension* between Xander and Gwen whenever they performed, and the way Xander was so completely whipped whenever he listened to her play. That made me turn into goo every single time.

Back when I read *Forget Me Not*, Julie made me realize that I enjoy an ending that’s not necessarily the stereotypical “picture perfect HEA.” And while the endings of *Forget Me Not* and *Not Another Love Song* definitely are different from one another, there are some similarities that I (obviously) loved.

A huge thank you to Dana at Forever Pub for sending me a physical & e-galley of *Not Another Love Song!*

I am so happy to report that I loved this so much more than her debut! There weren’t any life threatening things (well there was but if you didn’t read the first one you missed it) and everything about this felt so much more real. I can safely say this is my fave of the two.

Ok so what I did like was the romance. Dude, they had so much chemistry. And I can’t even say why or what it was about them. But the way Xander used music to show his feelings? I can rightfully admit that that was hot lol And I’m very happy to report that a certain scene is in the book, because I’m not gonna lie I would have been pissed if it wasn’t there. But because I’m me, I was a little annoyed at the beginning. The whole telling her she wasn’t good bit wasn’t great. I do not like enemies to lovers. But I know that if it was me, I probably wouldn’t have even made it to the part where they finally kissed. I am not into tension lol (I think it has a lot to do with my anxiety and not wanting people to be mad at me) But watching them get together and seeing the way they were together really made me think twice about that lol

The music was a huge part of this story. That bathroom scene?! Lordt! I’m writing this review like a week after I finished it and I am still thinking about it. I think I reacted so viscerally to this because I played in band from middle school to high school. And I kept my flute after high school. I know the connection you can have with music. It’s something that some people feel on a different level. And these people are prodigies, so I can’t imagine how it filters into their everyday lives.

The ending was a little too abrupt for me tho. And I didn’t like how things felt unfinished. The whole thing with the conductor was terrible. But we don’t get him ever admitting to it or even getting a confrontation with him or the big wig music person. It was like a huge build up to nothing. She basically got on a flight for one day, but there wasn’t any follow up on what happened? They said they’d look more into it and then it was the epilogue. Idk, I just wanted more. It didn’t seem like there was a climax to the book. I think that’s why I felt like it was abrupt.

This was so good, but I do wish there was more to some bits. The music and the romance and the chemistry was enough for me to drown out the places where I wanted someone to out a certain person as an asshole lol

"It's simple, really. It's about a cello who fell in love with a violin."

Julie Soto by Not Another Love Song

✶ rivals to lovers
✶ forced proximity
✶ found family
✶ NYC setting
✶ 5/5

Gwen Jackson, a talented violinist with the Manhattan Pops, navigates the challenges of being a musical prodigy at just 22 years old, despite having no formal education and growing up as an orphan. Her world shifts dramatically when she enters Mabel's music store, run by a talented musician. While performing in a subway station, Gwen encounters Ava Fitzgerald, a renowned musician and Manhattan Pops board member, who occupies the first chair. Ava's relationship with Mabel opens a door for Gwen at her workplace.

Gwen's side job performing at a celebrity wedding alongside her roommate Jacob leads to an unexpected meeting with Xander Thorne, a famous member of the Manhattan Pops and star of Thorne & Roses. Although Xander's late arrival and arrogance annoy Ava and her partner Nathan, his presence brings new dynamics.
Their initial interaction is rocky, as Xander harshly critiques Gwen's performance, not realizing they're both part of the same orchestra. When the board offers Gwen the first chair that Xander wants to take over from Ava, his criticism intensifies.
Despite her insecurities, Gwen is determined not to fight for her spot or overextend herself to prove her talent.

Unknown to her, Xander—known to close friends as Alex—recognizes her exceptional talent and is captivated by the mysterious prodigy who leaves him breathless. He's driven to remain at Manhattan Pops to be near her and create music together, where their collaboration becomes pure magic. The question remains: can Gwen trust this arrogant young man from a wealthy, influential background without risking her heart?

Music is almost like another character in this story. Though I know little about violins, cellos, and orchestras, my love for music made the discussions in the book fascinating. It was heartwarming to witness how deeply music is woven into the lives of Gwen and Alex, and the way it lights them up when they talk about their passion.

The third-act break-up was heart-wrenching, yet it felt true to Gwen and Alex's characters. Their actions were driven by their insecurities and fears, which spoke louder than their feelings for each other, making the split both believable and understandable.

I absolutely loved this book and found myself completely absorbed in Gwen and Alex's world. The characters were beautifully crafted, and the story was both engaging and emotionally resonant. The blend of romance and the transformative power of music made it a truly unforgettable read. I'm eagerly anticipating the next instalment, excited to see where their journey will take them next and how their relationships and musical talents will continue to evolve.

Thank you to Julie Soto & Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

The writing is unique and I enjoyed the music. The writing is very passionate and it felt like a song on page. It was interesting reading about the politics of the orchestra and behind the scenes.
It did take me awhile to stay focused and finish this book. At some points I found it boring and I couldn’t get into the romance.
Maybe it’s just me..I don’t know

I didn’t finish this one, which is so unfortunate because I was really looking forward to it. But I put it down and had no desire to come back to it. The male main character was a jerk and I was bored.

This was an excellent read! Definitely super fun, and I loved their chemistry along with the way Xander and Gwen's past overlapped without them ever actually meeting. The romance was fun, and I loved seeing them go from rivals to a couple. The book was well paced, and I read it in a single afternoon. I think my only reason for this not being 5 stars was how sexualized the music was at times it was a bit weird, and I didn't understand the musical terms being used, so I was often a bit confused.

Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for the digital copy to review!

Did somebody ask for a boy obsessed?

Xander Thorne literally owns me.
Forget Me Not read like a 2000’ romance, so did this one. Only Not Another Love Song was more.. sensual. More.. passionate i was melting, especially that first full of sexual tension Cello scene 😮‍💨

Julie’s writing is magic. I felt every scene like I’m in it.
The Pops concerts, it was like I’m right there in the midst of the audience.
Mabel’s shop, i could smell that unique smell any old shop has as i take a look at the instruments.
I was screaming when Gwen took the stage with Thorne and Roses.
Magic.

I truly cannot wait to see more hopefully from the Thorne and Roses. These men are delicious.

I hope we see this book on screen. All the magic between those pages would make one hell of a romance set in New York

I love tension as is, but tension over two hot characters while playing string instruments is a whole new level of amazing. I adored this rivals to lovers romance and was eating up the push and pull between the two characters. The way music played such a big roll in the story also made me happy as someone who has been around music my whole life. I felt like the characters could have communicated a bit more but other than that this was absolutely amazing!

This was my first Julie Soto book and it DID NOT disappoint!! I literally could not put this book down and yet wanted to prolong it as much as I could because I did not want it to end. This was beautiful and captivating. I tried so hard to find the right words to describe this book but I don’t think I can!

This book was cute!

A lot of musical talk but if you can understand and look past that you'll enjoy!

The spice and chemistry were oh soooooo good though ;)

This one reminded me a lot of Ali Hazelwood's writing: a woman heavily devoted to her career and a sexy broody man lurking in the shadows nearby🤣
There's a specific scene where these two musical prodigies have an intense moment on stage at Carnegie Hall, one on a violin and the other on a cello, and my gawd the sexual tension?!!
The music and romance were definitely very well balanced, and I couldn’t stop reading just like the first book.

“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—”

FIY… the cover is an actual scene in the book🤭

*𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 (𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨) 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤.*

Ali was right... and I love the way Julie build the tension of both characters and the way it was missundestaing but also, there was tension...I love that the cover lived up to the scene if you know you know because hello??? Julie is an amazing writer and I can't wait to read more of her. the way this book was written made want to learn how to play instruments lol

The sexiest book with so much pining and angst. I adored these characters and their growth! Julie Soto knocked it out of the park with this book!

5 stars! ⭐️

I LOVED this book!! I absolutely loved Forget Me Not last year so I was very excited to get my hands on an ARC of Julie Soto’s latest and it did not disappoint!!

I love Gwen and Alex so much and I need to go see an orchestra ASAP!

Thanks to Forever for the eARC!

I loved and liked this better than “Forget Me Not.” But I also loved the Ama and Elliot cameos. I really didn’t expect to love “Not Another Love Song,” or to prefer it over “Forget Me Not.” One thing, it’s because it’s about two violinists/cellist, and I know nothing about either instruments or how an orchestra operates but I do love a string quartet. Just listening, not playing. Anyways, Gwen and Xander are both stubborn people but they learned how to communicate, even through music. The spicy scene in Xander’s studio though… if you know, you know. Julie Soto needs to write more books as good as this. It (should) only get better from here.

"Look, I don't know what you want from me, but—"
"Anything. Everything."

Rating: 3.75/5

- Rivals to lovers
- Workplace: violinist x cellist in an orchestra
- He falls first
- Set in NYC
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
- Mostly single POV (third person)
- Dual narration with Savannah Peachwood and Oliver Clarke

There's no doubt this is a beautifully written romance between two rivals working at the same orchestra, who don't stay rivals for long when they realise they make beautiful music together in more ways than one (IYKYK). Speaking of, the musical plot flowed lyrically into the writing style so uniquely that you can't help but be captivated.

There are also plenty of things going on in the background to keep the book going steadily, from Alex's past to his family to their connection and changing work lives. Savannah Peachwood's expert narration also ensures you don't want to put it down.

The one thing missing for me was more emotional development, as I felt like the spice often overpowered their relationship. And while we had brief glimpses of Alex's POV, I selfishly wanted more.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5 ⭐️
NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: contemporary romance
📖 380 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🎻🌆💕🎵🌮🔥🎹🌶️

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱? 👍🏼

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @netgalley @forever for the #gifted copy!

The easiest 5 ⭐️’s to give!! I devoured it & couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading. It was so captivating that I wished I could slow down just to prolong the experience. Who knew a story centered around violins could be so engrossing?! The cover & title took on a whole new meaning 🥵 , & I’ll never look at a cello the same way again 🤪

The scenes in this book were incredibly spicy 🌶️ 🌶️, @JulieSoto’s writing brought the sexual tension between the characters to a boiling point, oh the angst! Nobody writes love scenes quite like her! I found myself falling for Xander right along with Gwen 🤣 . The story is mostly told from Gwen’s POV, but the occasional chapters from Xander’s were a delightful bonus, offering a deeper understanding of his emotions & thoughts. The complicated family dynamics & the growth of both Gwen & Xander were beautifully portrayed, with supporting characters like Jacob, Declan, & Mabel adding even more ♥️ to the story.

This is much more than just a love story; it’s about starting over, choosing your own path, & doing what’s right for yourself. It’s a tale of forgiveness, personal growth, & making your own destiny. Soto is an auto-buy author for me, & I loved the brief cameo of Ama & Elliott from FORGET ME NOT 🤗 . I couldn’t recommend this more if I tried!!!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ enemies to lovers
◽️ found family
◽️ violins/cellos
◽️ having the courage to follow your dreams

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: Violinist Gwen Jackson immerses herself in her music with a quiet passion. Xander Thorne, a cellist & rock star, is the opposite, expressing big emotions & a bit of arrogance. It took Xander a year to notice Gwen in the Manhattan Pops, & he often criticizes her technique. When Gwen is offered the first chair, a role Xander has long wanted, their rivalry intensifies. Despite the tension, Gwen can't ignore the strong chemistry between them.

This was on its way to being a 4.5 for me but the third act situation annoyed me and I felt the resolution wasn’t fulfilling enough. I absolutely went feral for Xander/Alex. I loved learning about his background and witnessing his growth from his people pleasing tendencies, it was everything. I liked Gwen but didn’t love her. I felt she was too agreeable and I never got the sense of what she truly wanted. The tension was there and their chemistry was phenomenal.

I will read just about anything Julie Soto writes! Absolutely loved her debut 'Forget Me Not' last year and 'Not Another Love Song' is another hit by this wonderful author. She's got the amazing ability to balance sizzling chemistry with great character building.

Gwen and Xander are just so likeable and so different from each other. Yet, they work so well together and you find yourself rooting for this couple so desperately! This is an easy and quick read that has you hooked the entire time.

No one does forced proximity like Julie Soto and it seems to me that absolutely no one has forgotten the cello scene either! I can't wait to devour upcoming works by this author.

Thank you Forever Pub for the chance to read and review an eARC of this book!

This is my first Julie Soto book, and I don't know if I came with too high of an expectation but this book was not for me. It's not a bad book, it was just not for me. I could not find any way to connect to the any of the characters and felt like it dragged. I don't know if it would have made any difference, but maybe I would of enjoyed it more if I had a music background? There wasn't that many music lingo, but there was enough that I often felt confused/lost.

Also, I was confused with the whole Alex and Xander situation, at one point I asked my friend who had read this book, if Alex/Xander was mentally sane, because what the heck was going on! I don't know if I'll check out her other book, but this wasn't it for me.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC, all opinions are my own.