You get five stars you get five stars you get five stars. round of a freaking applause. so so good. Such a special book by a new to me artist.

Julie Soto is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Much like in FORGET ME NOT, she manages to pull together an unlikeable character (sorry, Ama and Gwen both were somehow relatable and also just unlikeable) and an absolutely compelling story! The banter and the TENSION was amazing, and, again, much like the first book, I somehow got sucked into a world I hadn’t previously been very interested in (orchestral musicians) and could not put this down! Cannot WAIT to read more from this author!

Loved it!

This book was so beautifully done! I am, by no means, a classical music enthusiast. I know about as the much as your average person does, but this book made me want to listen to classical music on repeat (particularly electric covers of pop songs). As someone who has seen an orchestra maybe once in her life, I have a fairly poor grasp as to how it all works with chair hierarchies and such. Knowing this, I was a little hesitant to start reading a romance where it was all about this tension between certain "chairs" and different sections of instruments. Turns out, my worry was completely unfounded. The author did an amazing job at explaining how the orchestra worked and the life of a musician. It's not all glitz and glam, but sometimes eating ramen in your tiny apartment so you can live your passion of music. I wasn't confused or lost for a single moment. By the end, I had a very unfounded confidence that I was a music snob...if only for a moment.
Outside of the music element, the real heart of the book for me was the characters and their connections to one another. Gwen's commentary was truly entertaining and refreshing. Some of her thoughts were ones that I have had a hundred times. One aspect that really drew me to Gwen's story was the element of confidence that this book addressed. Gwen struggled with knowing her worth, and it wasn't done in this traditional, Hollywood way. It was realistic. Its the small things that build up to make you think that you are worthy of accepting less because you think you aren't "as good"...even though you are. It isn't always a "shy" girl hiding behind her hair, but a woman trying to do her best but taking the safe route. It really resonated with me in a way that I think a lot of people would appreciate. Xander, the male lead, is also about as loveable as you can get for a guy who is as subtle as a semi-truck. He pulls no punches on his words, and I loved it. He also played his cards close to the vest most times, but when his feelings peeked out...OH MAN! It was amazing! Talk about a man obsessed. We love! I appreciate the fact that while this book was mostly from Gwen's perspective (as it should be as the FMC!), I also got a small view of Xander (or should I say Alex's) perspective. You could really feel where the misunderstandings went wrong seeing it from each character's side. I also really loved how you got both viewpoints without having to re-hash the entire scene again.
Speaking of love, I can't talk about a romance book without mentioning the romance. It was very tension-filled in the best way. There were points went I felt ready to burst from their conversations. Their showdowns (excuse me...conversations) were legendary. SO MUCH TENSION! It made the romance parts that much more explosive and, let's be honest, downright steamy. This was a perfectly executed modern "Enemies to Lovers" trope.
I cannot recommend or sing this book's praises enough. I read the other author's book (that was semi-connected), and I loved it, but this one...this one has it beat. Something about the tension and the characters in this cutthroat world of classical music really hooked me.

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
If you wondered if Julie Soto could top her debut novel 'Forget Me Not', this novel proves that she is not a one hit wonder, but an author that is on track to be on everyone's annual must read list

Julie has a way of writing that completely engulfs you into the idealistic world that she has created. Her pacing is perfect and she leaves just enough mystery surrounding her main characters that her books aren't overly predictable.
If you were a fan of her debut novel, we do get a visit from some of those characters which was a lovely surprise and not a forced cameo.
This is the story of a violinist and cellist who become enemies to lovers. The tension that Julie builds for these characters is everything. I had to pause several times to get my bearings and they weren't even touching! This novel is both sexy and smart. You can tell that Julie did her due diligence in framing the world of orchestra.
Both characters had depth in their stories, their sense of belonging, and what drives them to be the best. I loved the conflict of owning the art that you create and fighting for what matters the most. It was all very Taylor Swift- Scooter Braun and I loved it.
100%, absolutely would recommend. Will be screaming from the rooftops on how good this book is.

5 Stars Wow! Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is absolutely going down as one of my favorite books of the year (and maybe of all time?)!

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but with different paths to success. Cellist Xander was born into music royalty and studied at Juilliard; violinist Gwen had a natural talent that was nurtured by her mentor but with no formal training. Xander aggravates Gwen with his arrogance, critiques, and chronic lateness to rehearsals at the Manhattan Pops. When Gwen is offered and accepts the position of first chair of the orchestra, a role that Xander has coveted for years, the animosity between the two comes to a head, as does their attraction to one another. Their intense feelings for one another give way to a burning passion that extends beyond the music they make together. The duo are box office dynamite and suddenly their relationship is being used to push sales. Will their fragile relationship handle the weight of a publicity stunt or will it all come crumbling down?

I loved Julie Soto's debut novel, Forget Me Not, and she outdid herself with Not Another Love Song. The chemistry between Xander and Gwen was 🔥 🔥 🔥 and I genuinely could not put the book down because I had to know when they'd give in to the crackling tension between them. The plot was excellent and completely different from any other book I've read. The sprinkling of chapters from Xander's POV had me melting from how absolutely gone he was for Gwen. I'm already ready to re-read this one. Highly highly recommend!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

I devoured this one! Lately, it takes me longer than a week to finish a book but I read this in like, 3 days. I have to say I didn’t love it as much as Forget Me Not, but the romance had me so obsessed that I just wanted to keep reading until they got together.

I wouldn’t call this an enemies to lovers romance, if anything, I’d say rivals to lovers, but not even that, to be honest. They just didn’t know each other. The little miscommunication at the beginning had me on edge for them to finally talk about the real reasons behind Xander’s attitude towards Gwen, and I absolutely hated Nathan since the beginning. I could smell he was a snake. The ending was very rewarding. I also loved how it all ended when it came to Mabel and Ava.

Anyway, back to the romance. As I said, I was obsessed. Their chemistry was big and obvious, and I screamed when the cover turned out to be a real scene in the book… and a steamy one! No wonder why we can’t see his other hand. I wished Xander’s POV was more frequent and longer, but I also loved how it was written. Both of their backstories made me sad, so I was super happy they found each other.

I can’t wait for whatever’s coming next from Julie. I hope it’s Mar and Dominic! I might be completely wrong but I love a MMC called Dominic so one can dream.

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 4-5 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by Forever and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

Four and a half stars! I really wish we could give half stars here.

I loved this book so much. The tension, yearning and chemistry between Gwen and Alex was exquisite. I'm not very into music, I like listening to it but I can't sing and I'm not great at playing an instrument. I had no clue playing the cello could be so hot.

It was a lot of fun to see cameos of the characters from Forget Me Not and how they worked into this story. I can't wait to see what the author has in store next.

4.25 stars. This is a love story between a talented cellist (Alex - broody, passionate, angsty) and an equally talented violinist (Gwen - strong-willed, yet lacking confidence in her talent). Their lives basically keep colliding with each other, producing excellent tension, until they finally give in and … I won’t spoil anything else.

Things I liked:
- Reading the perspective of two people who are deeply moved by music, and able to express themselves through it.
- The realistic depiction of Gwen’s imposter syndrome.
- The nuanced and layered relationship dynamics between Alex, Gwen, and their families.
- The Cello Suite chapter interludes with Alex’s perspective. 🥺
- The fiery chemistry between the two leads. 🔥

Things I wished were different:
- In the first act of the book, Alex’s character acted in a way that reaaaally felt like it could have been harassment if she wasn’t into him. It wasn’t egregious, but that nagging thought made me uncomfortable enough that it took me out of the scenes a bit.
- The ending resolution was a little too quick and tidy for me, especially given the complex relationship dynamics she set up earlier in the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes tension-filled books and wants to escape into the world of two passionate and talented musicians 💕

& thanks to NetGalley for my first ARC! 💃

My first Julie Soto novel, and what a super introduction it was! I loved the chemistry between Alex and Gwen, and the book had just the right amount of tension to carry the story along. I also really liked the peripheral characters, I.e., Mabel, Jacob, Declan, and of course Ava.

The musical references were spot-on. I’ve never played in an orchestra and I learned so much about the role of the concert master and how it works. I had no idea that the first chair violinist did so much!

My thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the complimentary digital copy of the book. My review is voluntary.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.

I enjoy a book that introduces or teaches me about something that I wasn’t previously super familiar with. So all the information about the music world and instruments was interesting to me. I love seeing ambitious females going for what they want and fighting for their dreams, and we see that in Gwen throughout this story.

I’m going to keep this one short. This was a quick read and was entertaining enough, but it overall just didn’t work well for me.

I did not find most of the characters to be very likeable, with the exception of Side characters, Mabel and Jacob, who I loved. I would have liked to see more depth from the characters, both main and side. And I felt like the pacing was uneven.

That being said, I read this as a part of a buddy read any many in the group really loved it!

I loved this book even more than Julie Soto’s first book! I stayed up late to finish it and was so sad when it was over. I loved that the book was set in the world of orchestra and classical music. Finding out the intertwined history of the main and side characters added so much to the book - much more than just the romance. I can’t recommend this book enough. Spicy, romantic and sweet all together. The characters struggles with their musical careers upped the stakes and I couldn’t put it down! Read it!!!

The way I devoured this book. Julie writes her characters in a way that makes you feel like you know them, love them, and would die for them. The chemistry makes me physically anxious sometimes and I wish I could just shove them together and make them work it out already. Loved this book and will be recommending to everyone

Very rarely do I read a book that I feel was written for me, specifically (because obviously I'm not that narcissistic), but this is it! I've been playing violin off and on since I was 8 years old, and the way the writing captures the feeling of playing music brings me so much joy. The morning after I started the book, I picked up my violin for the first time in over a year and played Vitali's Chaconne in G minor (poorly, but still).

Music aside, the two leads were compelling, with enough drama to keep me hooked but not so much that I stopped caring. The chemistry between Gwen and Xander is absolutely sizzling, and the way their relationship develops is full of tension but like in the best way. (Just like music!)

I think I remember seeing an IG comment from Ali Hazelwood that said "the cello scene will change your life" and can confirm, it absolutely did.

I had been in the middle of reading Julie Soto's other book, Forget Me Not, and went back and finished that after. I love the cameos and characters that cross over between the two books.

Easily the best contemporary romance I've read this year!

When I read the introduction and found out it was a Raylo fanfic turned novel, I wasn't sure I was going to be interested. BUT I was hooked from the beginning. It made me remember why I love to read fanfiction - because the writers are amazing and even though they are using exisitng characters, they are taking it and making it something completely their own. I am also a sucker for enemies to lovers stories. Throughout the whole book, I completely forgot that it ever started out as a fanfiction. I was in the story for Alex and Gwen. I was invested in making sure their love story played out the way it was supposed to. I loved every minute of it.

Julie Soto did so good (again). Just like she nailed it in Forget Me Not, the tension, banter, and build up in Not Another Love Song were incredible. The chemistry between Gwen and Alex was burning up!

This book made orchestras and string instruments hot and fascinating to me. I've never read a romance set against the backdrop of an orchestra before, and it made the plot feel really refreshing!

Loved it!

A unique pair of characters for a unique story. Even those who are not well versed in music themselves will enjoy and understand the plot. The romance is sizzling and the tension between them is palpable throughout the whole book.

I read Forget Me Not at the beginning of the year and absolutely could not wait to read more by Julie Soto! All I knew going in was that Not Another Love Song was a rivals to lovers romance centered around two string players and it hooked me from the very first page. The romance! The classical music! One of my favorite things about this book was how well Julie's love for classical music was portrayed through her writing. I found myself looking up the music that was being played and it really enhanced the whole reading experience for me. I adored Gwen and Alex, I could not get enough of them. The only thing that I struggled with in this book was the pacing - I felt like the build up between Gwen and Alex was so well done until about 60% in and then the book seemed to have a big focus on the physical aspect of their relationship. Things just seemed to move really fast from then onwards. I loved Gwen and Alex as a couple and would've loved to have seen them continue to build their relationship and get to know one another without all of the physical moments.

Not Another Love Song had the best tension (pun intended) I have read in soo long! If that one scene from If I Stay has stuck with you all these years, this is the book for you. It’s about Gwen and Xander, who are both part of a pop music orchestra. There’s forced proximity and definitely some hostility between them (and tons of chemistry!) I highly recommend checking this out when it comes out in July!

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I absolutely loved everything about this! As someone who has played in a variety of local orchestras, it was so fun to read a romance set within the world of classical musicians. Julie Soto truly made orchestras hot and I love her for that.

I loved Gwen and Xander's relationship, especially how they helped and supported each other through their own struggles, but gave each other space to confront what they needed to confront. I also thought the way the book approached complicated familial relationships was done really well too!

I wish there was more of Xander's POV, but I did like the format of how his POV was incorporated into the story.

Overall a great read, highly recommend!

This was a very engaging read, I got my eyes glued to the book as soon as I got it.
Julie Soto has a way of describing mood en emotions that is very compelling and reaches to your heartstrings.
The characters are well developed and it's great to learn about them just as they learn about themselves. She manages the reveals and exposition delicately, giving it in little pieces that answer questions and create more at the same time.
And not only is the romance aspect deliciously lovely, I was also very interested in seeing the main character's music career develop.