This book was so unbelievably good. As an orchestra nerd, a reylo with a Kylo saber tattoo, and a musical theatre person… this was everything to me. Their romance was top tier, the writing was impeccable; and the vibes were so good. It felt like the author recreated my dream romance story from the deepest abyss of my mind. Obsessed!

I am in love with this book.

This is the first book I have ever read from Julie Soto but I’ve heard so many great things about her writing and I’m so glad to see that they weren’t wrong! This story had me in tears at some parts simply because I found it to be so beautiful. Great pacing with fantastic characters and character development and I am honestly feeling a little sad that it’s over. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters. I will definitely be reading every book that Julie releases from now on. Adding her to my favorite authors list.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves music and romance. 5/5 ⭐️

This was one of my most anticipated reads after loving Forget Me Not last year, and Not Another Love Story did not disappoint! I loved the tension between the characters & felt the rivalry between the two. Love the banter & connection these two had & the setting being an orchestra was really enjoyable.

This is the second book I've read by Julie Soto and I hav not been disappointed! A spicy romance novel about a violinist and a cellist?! Yesssss please. I feel like maybe we could have done without the third act break up, but other then that this book was a masterpiece.

A musical masterpiece of romance and rivalry. 🎵

You'll Love This If You're Into:
* rivals to lovers
* grumpy x sunshine
* A little dash of smutty fun
* vivid and emotionally charged writing
* Underdog FMCs

Characters: ★★★★★

Plot Progression: ★★★★★

Writing Style: ★★★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Memorability: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★

Thoughts: UNFORGETTABLE

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto is an absolute gem that had me hooked from the first page. Julie Soto has a remarkable talent for creating vibrant, palpable worlds, and she didn’t disappoint with this one. I’ve never read a book about professional classical musicians before that I have actually enjoyed.

I felt like I was right there with Gwen and Xander, hearing the music play and feeling the tension build.

Gwen and Xander were perfectly crafted characters to me. Gwen, with her insecurities and people-pleasing nature, was so relatable. She’s the self-taught violinist who doesn’t see her own brilliance, and her journey of self-discovery and standing up for herself was fun to explore. Xander, on the other hand, appears arrogant and confident, but, as the story unfold, his true passion and vulnerability shine through. The chemistry between them was electric, and the romance was torturous...the cover really is a good hint at what is inside the pages.

The musical backdrop was not just a setting but a character in itself. Soto’s descriptions of music were so vivid that I could almost hear the symphonies. The way music was used to convey sexual tension and emotional depth was breathtaking. As a classically trained musician, I often find books about or with music in them cringey. But this felt like the author did much more research or had more knowledge than the first page of Google could tell her, and I appreciated that. Every musical thought seemed so reasonable and intentional, and I really enjoyed those moments in the book.

I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end, which gave insight into the inspiration behind the story. It added a personal touch that made me appreciate the book even more.

This book is a binge-worthy, emotionally charged read that you won’t want to put down.

If you love romance, music, and characters you can’t help but root for, take care of yourself and grab Not Another Love Song ASAP!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with this amazing book's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

4.5/5

This book was incredible! The FMC, Gwen, and MC, Xander, play in the Pops Orchestra together and the tension and buildup between the two was some of the best I’ve read in a while. And even when the tension inevitably breaks, it continues, especially the first time they play together on stage. That scene had some of the most electric chemistry written. I loved all the musical metaphors (despite knowing nothing about being an orchestra). This was just such a good time. Do yourself a favor and pick this up on the most epic* pub day of July 16, 2024! Thanks to @netgalley and @foreverpub for the arc!
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(*epic due to two of my other most anticipated releases - Business Casual by B.K. Borison and The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce)

I think this book had a great start for me personally, but I struggled with it from about 40% on. I was honestly feeling a 4-4.5 star at the beginning! Mainly, I felt that the characters' motivations were fuzzy and not as clear as I would've wanted. Even finishing the book, I couldn't tell you what Gwen's hopes and dreams were. Were the Julliard? Pops? Composing? Solo work? I really would've loved a clear dream of hers because then I would've understood her journey more.

And I felt Alex to be rather claustrophobic. He was a little too persistent for me, especially taking into account how little the couple spoke to each other in the beginning.

But I genuinely thought the beginning was great - I bought the enemies to lovers, I loved the fast pace of it. But then some...very unrealistic things happen here and well I just feel like it went off the rails.

Happy I read it because it's the first book I've read in over a month and I'm feeling compelled to keep reading so that's good!!

This was such an amazing book! This was my first book by Julie. She did not disappoint. I can’t put my thoughts into words. The tension between the FL and ML was spicy! I never thought that music could be played in such a lovely way *wink* I could just feel the emotions throughout the entirety of the book and I enjoyed that very much!

🎶 Not Another Love Song ARC Review 🎶

Thank you so much to Julie Soto and Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Not Another Love Song is a standalone contemporary romance and set in the same world as Forget Me Not. Gwen has been playing the violin since she was a child and is now a professional musician. When she’s accidentally booked for a wedding as a cellist, she finds herself agreeing to play an instrument she’s not familiar with. To make things worse, cello superstar Xander is there to witness everything

I absolutely loved this book! Gwen was a fantastic character and I enjoyed her growth so much in this book. Xander was absolutely perfect - he was moody, broody and yet absolutely amazing - definitely book boyfriend material! I really enjoyed going back to this world of characters - the cameos of characters from Forget Me Not were so good!

This was a fantastic five star read! Absolutely loved everything about it! This book does have some darker themes, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book was a little bit of a slow burn but the spice was fantastic once it got there, so overall three flames for spice

If you’re a fan of contemporary romance with strong characters with grumpy sunshine vibes, absolutely pick this one up!

Julie does it again!!! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about musicians, much less a book about a pair of musicians falling in love. That’s not to say they don’t exist! More like…I just never have but now I have and I enjoyed every minute!

I loved the tension between Alex and Gwen. Angst! I will ALWAYS love angst!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for this free review copy!

A stunning sophomore novel, Julie Soto captures the dynamic of romance through the language of music in a gorgeous and poetic way. I loved the enemies to lovers tension, the magnetic pull between the main characters, and the phenomenal arc of the story. Auto buy author honestly.

This book was so transfixing I finished it in roughly 16 hours--including a night's sleep. Alexander and Gwen were really phenomenal opposite sides of the same coin, and who could have been a better underlying character than Mabel? I really loved how it all came together.

Julie Soto really knocked it out of the park. I loved the cello interludes. And chapter ten. WOW.

Whew this book!! So so good and a steamy love story! Love Julie Soto books and this one did not disappoint. Totally kept me reading and definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Julie Soto!

Very unique and fun to read!

Swoon-worthy and easily able to sweep me off into the melody this book created. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I think the music element was very intriguing, and it helped the book feel more captivating. Gwen was an interesting MC, and I found it easy to follow her journey. Though I did prefer seeing Xander's growth the most. Overall, the thing that captivated me the most was the music, and the idea that music is this freeing and powerful thing. I almost felt like I could hear the music through the text which was mesmerizing to experience.

I wasn't a super huge fan of the weird pop-ups of Xander's POV. I didn't hate it, but it was a little to random and sporadic for my liking. I did feel like the last 75 pages were a little rushed, but overall, I thought the pacing was pretty solid. I'm not sure how I felt about the whole general plot, but I think the romantic plot was quiet beautiful and well-written.

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this. I thought the musical elements of this book made it very whimsical and made it stand out from other romances I've read. The romance was enjoyable and the spice was also a nice touch without being too overbearing to the plot. Definitely would recommend this one!

Big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Julie Soto for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and feelings. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

This was a delicious read! Slow burn meets musicians meets steaming hot tension!

I loved the music side - it was informational but also put simple enough for non-musicians to follow.

The slow burn and tension was done really well. I was rooting for the MCs.

Highly recommend this - a great summer read!!

Whew! This book had a little bit of everything! I am not usually a fan of orchestral music or instruments, but I felt like I learned a lot from this story! The romance between the two characters was amazing and I really enjoyed some of those cello scenes. While the main story was from the FMC POV, having some small glimpses from the MMC was nice. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes spicy scenes, youngish adults, and New York.

Review: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not Another Love Song is an angsty, emotional romance between two rising stars in the music scene in NYC. Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne have followed extremely different pathways that led them to being part of the Manhattan Pops Orchestra at the same time. Despite their differences, Gwen and Xander’s connections to music and the chemistry between them forces them to collide with white hot passion, but can their growing feelings survive the pressure of the buzz they’ve created at the box office?

OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS BOOK! I devoured Not Another Love Song in a single day - I could not put it down! The dynamic of Gwen and Xander is top tier - their musical bond! The intimacy! The pinning! The lust! I need Xander Thorne to teach me how to play the cello! 🥵

Not Another Love Song will be published July 16th 2024 and you can bet I will be running to get a copy so I can have Julie Soto sign it at Steamy Lit Con! Julie Soto is now an instant ‘add to cart’ author!

This was more first read by Julie Soto and I enjoyed it! It was a cute read about two passionate musicians that don't necessarily start off on the right now but eventually fall in love through their passion for the music. Both have always felt as if they were conditioned to play their instruments in unique ways, always being told what they want to do. They both had a love for it but they were feeling drained trying to commit to others expectations in a way. They found each other and despite bumping heads in the beginning they both ignited each others passion reminding them what they love the music to make and perform and eventually bringing them to love each other. I'm excited to read more from Julie Soto in the future.

Not Another Love Song

"Don't worry. It's not a love song."

OH MY HEART THIS BOOK! I absolutely devoured it. The banter, the spice, the high stakes orchestra drama. I loved everything about it.

Gwen is a violinist with the Manhattan Pops, playing a wedding when the bride specifically requests she plays a cello instead. In a whirlwind of a yes, she is suddenly borrowing a cello from Xander Thorne - lead of Thorne and Roses, plays cello across from her in the Pops and potentially her celebrity crush. While Zander was definitely on Gwen's radar, she pops up on his after hearing her play his cello while he stands in his best friend's wedding. Their jobs bring them together and what follows is a beautiful melody of undeniable chemistry and finding yourself in a song... But definitely NOT a love sone.

Y'all, do not sleep on this book, you don't want to miss it!

Check this one out if you're looking for:
- Workplace romance
- Orchestra / musician romance
- Supportive friend groups
- A cello scene that carriage scenes can't touch

Not Another Love Song is on shelves July 16, 2024T Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for this eARC!

An orchestra has never looked or sounded this hot...until now 🤭

🎵 Rivals to Lovers
🎻 Musical Proteges
🎵 The TENSION
🎻 He Falls First

This had a slow start but boy oh boy when I hit chapter 10...all bets were OFF. The sexual tension in the whole book is insane, but in that particular chapter with the Cello 👀, I was sweating bullets! 🥵 Their chemistry was nuclear, and I really like how the majority of this was not overtly sexual. The nuance of it in the story, and how music played such an integral part in the build up and inevitable release of this sexual tension was so good.

I also loved how absolutely down bad the MMC was for the FMC in this. You only really got like 5 little chapters thrown throughout from Xander/Alex's POV but I went feral for them. I love when the FMC thinks the MMC hates her and then you get his perspective and he's like "omg she's perfect I think I'm gonna die" 🥰. It's so silly but it gets me every time.

The only thing I didn't like is that the author tells you in the disclaimer before the book even starts that she wrote this as Reylo fanfiction...I didn't need to know that personally 🫣. I couldn't get it out of my head in the beginning and in my opinion it isn't necessary to tell. The story stands on its own, and all it did for me (until I pushed it out of my mind), was try and make unnecessary connections. I would have never thought Reylo if she hadn't said that personally, and it didn't improve my experience...so unless there is a legal reason she had to state that, maybe just don't? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Overall I'd definitely recommend this! Prepare yourself for a bit of a slow start, but know that the payoff will be worth the wait! These two will steal your heart, and you will be 100% rooting for both of their success.

I will say too I didn't read the first book in the series (Forget Me Not) and I really don't think you need to go in order. The FMC from that one is in this a little, and there is a mention of the MMC but that's it. So you really can go into this one blind and still have such a good time 🤗. BUT I do plan on going back and reading that one too.

I look forward to reading more from Julie Soto in the future 💜