I have never played a musical interment in my LIFE but the way I ATE this book. It’s probably good that I don’t play a cello or it might give me a complex.

I loved Alex/ Xander’s character and thought he was perfect for Gwen. Their love story was poetic and sensual. Like I said, I have NO musical background but the way that Julie Soto wrote this, it was all so easy to understand and follow. You can’t help but fly though the pages.

Gwen wasn’t my favorite, I felt like she ignored a lot of red flags, especially when she got first chair. I also thought it was strange that Xander would have such a hard time standing up for himself given how his character was described.

The side characters were some of my favorites, Jacob, Mabel and even Ava, ugh! *hearts*

This book was my first Julie Soto and I enjoyed it! I really felt like I could visualize all the music scenes and I loved how music was incorporated deeply in the roots of this book. You don’t need to be well versed in playing an instrument to understand the story (though it does help!) - I feel like it was explained well.

The slow burn/tension was well done, although sometimes I felt like either the pacing or a plot point was slightly off, but I just rolled with it. With some more editing and finesse, I think this book could have been five stars - but it was still good. The author’s note explained in the beginning that it was Star Wars fan fiction and that it was her first book, which got rejection after rejection before finally finding a home.

It’s not quite enemies to lovers because Gwen always admired Xander but thought he wasn’t nice. There is also an exploration of grief, abandonment, and problematic music industry tropes/plots in the story. The spicy scenes were really good because they were emotional too - 2.5 🌶️.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, I ADORED this book. Literally devoured it over a span of two days (half the evening of the first day and the other half whenever I could the next). The romance was just exceptional, the tension between Gwen and Xander/Alex was top tier and their spicy scenes were holy moly. On top of that, I never knew that the orchestral space could be sexy, but Julie gave it to us. Also, I really really wish I could hear the compositions that were such an integral part of the story, so much so that they’re practically a main character. The way that Julie spoke about and described the music made me literally CRAVE hearing it myself and really feeling the emotions it invoked in both Gwen and Alex. Truly a top tier read!

4.5 Stars

WOW! This was my first Julie Soto book and I will be reading her other book, Forget Me Not ASAP. If you’ve been turned off by her covers (like me) then I’m here to tell you to give this one a chance.

Not Another Love Song follows Gwen, a gifted violinist, who has an uncomfortable run in with Xander Thorne while playing at a wedding he’s at. Xander is a famous cellist who also plays in a big time NYC orchestra with Gwen, only he doesn’t remember her even after sitting across from her for a year! Competition between them ramps up at the orchestra among other things.

I was hooked from the beginning— the tension! The longing! It was so good. This book is very spicy though so just beware. It reminded me of Ali Hazelwood (who happened to write the blurb) but I preferred this to anything I’ve read by her. I will say around the 70% mark I got a little bored but it was short lived and I also think a lot of these characters could really benefit from therapy.

Thank you to Net Galley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of Not Another Love Song in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Julie Soto, so I was so excited to read this.

I loved how Gwen was finding herself through the uncertainty of her career and expectations placed on her. The tension between her and Xander was so intense you could feel it oozing off the pages. Some parts I felt were a bit unrealistic and a little over the top but I think it still made sense with the story.

There was a scene with Gwen’s best friend and his bf that had me laughing so hard it was too cute. I loved them as side characters!


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Impossible to put down and beautifully written! I grew up playing in my school’s band so I have some background in music but I just loved hearing more about the professional musician’s life and all the politics. Definitely recommend!

I only got about 45% through before deciding to let it go. I liked it well enough, but I felt like at 45% nothing really had happened, and we had barely had any actual moments of chemistry between the MCs before they hooked up. It felt somehow rushed and also slow at the same time. Not a book for me, but could definitely see recommending it to a specific audience!

This is the first Julie Soto book I've read and wow did this leave me wanting to read more by this author. I felt transported both physically and emotionally with both the plot and characters featured in this book. You can tell a lot of thought went into the scenes focused on the music, instruments and orchestra. In some parts you could viscerally feel the music juxtaposed with the tension building between the two main characters. While I'm not usually one for a fan fiction inspired romance you could put that aside and focus on the growth of the characters as their love grew and they reconciled parts of their past with the potential for their future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing and Julie Soto for this ARC!

Thank you, Forever Reads, for providing me with an ARC. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy since I enjoyed Julie Soto's previous book.

This story revolves around Gwen Jackson, a violinist with the Manhattan Pops. She also works on the side with her roommate, Jacob. The plot thickens when they perform at a wedding, and Gwen finds herself playing the cello despite being more skilled with the violin.

Alexander/Xander a fellow member of the Pops who rarely attends practice, is at the wedding and is the one who lends her the cello to play. We dive into Gwen’s background, learning how she started playing the violin at a young age and how Mabel helped her become the talented musician she is today. After losing her mother early on, Gwen lived with her grandfather and busked in the subway to make ends meet.

While I enjoyed Soto's last book, I found this one even better. It's a slow-burn romance with an intriguing storyline. Although the fanfiction aspect went over my head, I was thoroughly engaged. The book gets quite steamy towards the end, which isn't usually my preference, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I was hooked from the beginning and ended up finishing it within 24 hours because it was so hard to put down. This is a binge-worthy and fun read. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 and highly recommend picking up a copy.

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

Have you ever read a book that you'll remember forever? THIS was that book for me.

📝 Since she was 12, Gwen has leaned into playing her violin as a way to cope through life. It's also the one thing she was exceptionally good at. Unable to afford musical schools, like Juilliard, she's worked her way up the ladder. Now, with the chance to shine with the New York Pops, she will do everything it takes. Unfortunately, Xander Thorne, the famous cellist, is in the way. He's cocky, condescending, and so so attractive. But soon, they have a chance to work together, and learn to respect one another. Is this relationship turn into the perfect symphony? Or is it always meant to be off key?

What I 🤍:
🎼 Romance through Music
🎵 Symphony Setting
🎻 Celebrity Musicians
💕 Gravitational Pull
🌟 Kylo Ren X Rae Fan Fic
🥵 Spice, Spice, Spice

This book was absolute PERFECTION! It is now my favorite romance of all time! This book centers around two musical prodigies and the opposite tracks these two took to reach their dreams. One had to grind, grind, grind....even playing in the subway stations for extra cash. The other never given a choice, forced to play as a child. While none of these paths is right or wrong, these two variations came together in a beautiful symphony together, as the character grew respect for one another. I don't know how this is possible, but I swear I could HEAR the music playing as I was reading. This read was extremely powerful.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steaminess: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Read if ➡️: You love classical music, Kylo Ren
📍 New York
CW ⚠️: Death of Parent,

I really enjoyed the writing, and how it was told in third person (I feel like we don't get that much anymore). Additionally, four sections we were given Xander's perspective (done this way like how music pieces are written). The passion in this book is unrivaled. The stares across the stage at one another, Xander playing cello behind her and the MAKING LOVE TO ONE ANOTHER BY PLAYING DUETS. Just swoon. Pick up this book, you won't regret it.

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for the copy of this book. I'm so grateful I got to read this masterpiece.

This was a cute read. I enjoyed the musical aspect of the characters and set. I did struggle with aspects that just felt unrealistic to me. Overall I enjoyed it, but there was no staying power for me.

Thank you netgalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I ate this up. I really enjoyed Forget Me Not, but this was a whole other level. The slow burn was impeccable, characters were loveable, and plot was intriguing. Loved the cameo's from Forget Me Not too. So excited to see what comes next!!

I enjoyed this one a lot, I love music and so my music heart was happy with having all of the music talk and also the spice scenes with music just also worked well for me.

The chemistry is so clear between these two and I loved watching the sort of loath to love evolve here.

I will post the links for the reviews on social here shortly.

thank you Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! after not loving Forget Me Not (Julie's first published book) I really didn't know what to expect - but this is hands down one of my favorite new romances of the year. the character development, side characters, spice, and POV switches were absolutely divine. I didn't want this book to end because of how much I loved it. 10/10 would recommend moving to the top of your TBR

I don't even know what to write in this review. I loved everything about Not Another Love Song, I have nothing to complain about.
This was such a sensual and sensuous experience.

People talk about the cello scene but I think it's all of Gwen and Alex's intimate scenes together that altered my brain chemistry.

Speaking of Gwen and Alex I loved them both so much—they're both relatable and fleshed out.
From their first scene together to their last, their chemistry was amazing, their connection — palpable, stunning.
I love how they complemented and challenged each other, how they were each other's match.
I love how obsessed Xander was with Gwen and I love how Gwen was his biggest fan.
And those spicy scenes... *fans oneself* the way that Julie wove the music between them within the intimate moments was *chef's kiss* I cannot even explain what she did, it needs to be experienced, words cannot do it justice.

I also loved the cameos—seeing what Ama and Elliot were up to was a rare treat. Oh and the side characters!! I looooveee Jacob and Declan with undying passion, they were so cute together - my fav couple after Alex and Gwen!

I'm so excited about the next book, I wonder if it's gonna be another character we've already met like Dom? I remember he was crushing bad on a *certain* photographer 😏

Can't wait to find out more but until then just read this, read this, read this!!

eternal gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for the arc

5 (hundred) stars!

I went into this book expecting to love it after loving Forget Me Not and I was still blown away. Had the authors note not told me about the fanfic inspo, I might not have caught on (but knowing it beforehand, I made a lot of connections). It was hard to like the MMC in the beginning but he redeems himself much better than the character that inspired him! Feel like I learned a lot about music and the world of orchestras in NYC too, you can assume the author did a ton of research (I wouldn’t actually be able to tell if anything was wrong but it felt informed).

Also, the sexiest part to me wasn’t even actual spice. It was the performance in chapter 15. Perfection.

Thank you to NetGally, Forever, and Julie Soto for being lucky enough to read this amazing book early!

Wow. I lovedddd this book and I could not put it down. I love the way the book started and completely hooked me with the story of Gwen and Xander. There was so much tension, angst and chemistry between the pair. I don’t play any instruments, but grew up in a family of musicians, and really loved the concept behind this book. It was written in a way that those who don’t listen to classical music or are not classically trained, could still feel, see, and hear and relate to the music that is being composed and played. I loved the entire cast of side characters, and felt immersed in their world. It was steamy and I could have easily read it in one sitting.

Thanks to netgalley and forever pub for this arc in exchange for my honest review!


Can I just say that I went into this book thinking hm how is she going to make this book 🌶️ and well folks she did! I really enjoyed Alex and Gwens rival to lovers story line! Their scenes together were absolutely magically. I also LOVED Jacob, everyone NEEDS a Jacob in their life!! So excited to read more from Julie!

.5 stars! I loved this book and continue to love this author's work. Julie has a great way of writing with such detail that you can see and hear the music in the story. I could hear the people and sense the tension in the characters. Great characters and storyline overall. Good amount of spice to it too. It makes me want to listen to more classical music!

Not Another Love Song is the latest from Julie Soto and one of my favorite books so far this year! I love the idea of a romance between rival musicians playing together in a symphony and Soto completely pulls it off. I loved the progression of the relationship between Gwen and Xander- from dislike to friends to lovers. The musical scenes were vivid and filled with tension (especially the scene with the cello!). The chemistry between Gwen and Xander was masterfully crafted.

Soto also incorporates grief, complex power dynamics between mentors, and the importance of understanding contracts. I really enjoyed the side characters and their witty banter. Not Another Love Song is steamy, filled with heart and soul, and not to be missed. Readers who enjoy Ali Hazelwood, Rosie Danan, and Abby Jimenez will love this book. I can’t wait to see what Julie Soto writes next!

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.