a really good romance book. julie soto made the cello very sexy and im now a fan! cannot wait to read rose in chains

This was such an amazing book I finished it so quickly! I quickly fell in love with the characters and their story. Julie Soto is such an amazing author

As a musician myself, I could not put this book down. This was favorite read of 2024, and the dynamics between the members of the orchestra were spot-on. Julie clearly did her research, and I appreciated how accurate every little detail was.

This has been my favorite romance of the year. These characters, their tension, THE CELLO???? The way music and musical appreciation are woven through every bit of this story is perfectly whimsical. I think what I loved the most was the underlying Reylo coding! But I just loved everything about this book! at this point, I believe Julie Soto couldn't possibly write a book that I didn't absolutely adore! I think I liked this even more than I did Forget Me Not, which was unforgettable

“It’s about a cello who fell in love with a violin”
This story centers around two rivaling musicians who both wanted first chair in their orchestra. While tension rises for them in their work their personal relationship builds up as well.

I really enjoyed this book and love the way Julie Soto writes tension. We get clear communication from the beginning from Alex and I love that, Gwen has a hard time figuring out for herself what is the right path and that was so relatable!

Overall a solid romance and had some major swoony bits that gave me the tummy flips and everything!! My only complaint is that while we got a lot of information about our characters back story I had a hard time connecting to them. It almost felt like we were just given details that lacked an emotional connection.

Thank you to forever pub and NetGalley for the eARC !!

An Absolute delight! I loved the sizzling chemistry between the characters and the perfect of romance, tension, and heartfelt moments. the enemies-to-lovers dynamic was so well done, and the writing kept me hooked from start to finish. If you love witty banter, swoon-worthy moments, and a romance that feels real, this book is must-read!

Gwen Jackson is a self-taught professional violinist. Xander Thorne is the exact opposite—a rock star cellist with a bad attitude. They both play in the Manhattan Pops, and their styles couldn’t be more different.

This was simply amazing, the dynamics between Gwen and Xander. I couldn’t get enough. And the spice….🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
Not sure I can look at a cello the same way again. 😏

Enjoyed this book! But some of it was a little difficult to believe. How does one become the first chair so easily?

However, I think the characters and their relationships were well captured and I enjoyed reading about them!

Great storyline, very engaging from start to end. Really loved the book and looking forward to your future works.

Great book. Immediately wanted to read all as I wanted to know what would happen. Addictive read for sure!
The writing is sharp, emotional, and full of charm, making it impossible to put down. The characters are very well-developed, and the romance is both swoon-worthy and deeply authentic. Soto’s storytelling is engaging, balancing humor and heart perfectly. If you love a book that makes you feel everything: joy, longing, and pure happiness, this one is a must-read! Only thing I would say is that I didn't love the ending but everything else was really nice and cute.

Amazing chemistry between Gwen and Xander! I loved the angst and the yearning and Xander being boy obsessed was the cherry on top! I was giggling and kicking my feet while reading this book. I loved the full circle moment at the end of the book. It was also a nice surprise to see the characters from Forget Me Not.

I will literally read EVERYTHING that Julie Soto writes. Coming from her last book, I'm so happy she decided to expand on on the side characters you meet in Forgive Me Not. You can really feel the passion both of the characters have with music and she portrays it so well!! Thanks SO much for this arc opportunity!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever, and Julie Soto for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is one of my favorite romance books I’ve ever read. It was so so so good - I fell in love with the characters and the storyline so quickly.

This one follows Gwen Jackson, a professional violinist, and Xander Thorne, a rock star cellist. They play together in the Manhattan Pops and Gwen is offered a position that Xander wanted, causing tensions to rise. They’re forced to work together and things escalate…

I’ve never really read a romance book based on classical musicians before, but I loved it. Gwen and Xander have a powerful connection and I truly believed their feelings and could sense the chemistry. I also tried to audiobook for a few chapters and it was great - I’d definitely recommend it if you’re an audiobook fan.

If you want a romance that you’ll obsess over, pick this one up now! It’s been my favorite read of the year so far. I’m looking forward to more from Julie Soto.

I will read everything that Julie Soto writes. Her stories and characters never fail to draw me in. My introduction to her writing was through her fanfictions, but I think her contemporary romances are also just such a delight.

This is my first book this author and it won't be my last. I was fully drawn into these characters and their story, not wanting it to end.

Julie Soto’s contemporary romances are a 5 star experience every time. I can’t wait to see her upcoming work in the young adult and romantasy genres.

I really enjoyed this one! The characters had great tension and I loved their story. The musical aspect was also so enjoyable

A breathtakingly beautiful love letter to both music and New York. As a former violist, I loved the care with which Soto wrote Xander and Gwen and their musical passions. I won't watch an orchestra without picturing the bows as lightsabers and the tension between first chair and first cello again.

My first Julie Soto book and certainly not my last. This book was so fun, with some emotional moments, humour and so much more. I really enjoyed the music aspect. I didn’t know how I would like it when I first started reading because of the musical terms but it turned out so well.

This ended up being such an easy read with a nice flow. I loved seeing how the music brought them together and how the music brought out such strong emotions. The tension was so good too, I loved how he was pining so hard over her and kept attempting to speak to her only to be rejected. I also loved how Gwen handles herself and how she held strong. This book also had such hot moments that I really did not expect and it just added that much more to the story. I highly recommend this one.

amazing, show stopping, wonderful, perfect! this was truly such a fun read, but i loved the depth of the relationship that we were given between the fmc and mmc. this was actually one of my favorite romances from 2024! highly recommend this one, especially for the found family and supporting characters as well.