Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto – A book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5) Really loved

Genre: Romance {open door}

Format: Ebook via Netgalley

Published: July 16, 2024 by Forever

Soundtrack: Stay With Me – Vitamin String Quartet

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for this ACR

There’s a formula that guarantees I will love a book: spicy, based in New York City and a career choice I could’ve never imagined but immediately wish I had considered. Not Another Love Song captures all of these things and then expands on them with a beautiful tribute to the art of classical music. 

Despite playing in the same orchestra for a year, Xander” Alex” Thorne doesn’t seem to know Gwen Jackson exists until Gwen captures his ears and heart with an impromptu cello performance. On the other hand, Gwen used to have a poster of Xander on her wall and remains underwhelmed by his arrogance and persistent tardiness.  Alex and Gwen’s rival-to-lovers romance was enchanting to read, and their combined musical talent left me feeling regretful that I cannot play an instrument. The cast of supporting characters was well-rounded and helped keep the plot fresh throughout the novel. 

I loved the classical music references, the realness of the starving artist in New York City, and the instant chemistry between Gwen and Alex. While the novel is primarily from Gwen’s point of view, we get snippets of insight from Alex, which enable the reader to connect with both characters. Their tension is taut, and their literal and figurative music-making is electric! Soto has an evident love of the arts, and how she has woven music and the physical labor of creating art into this novel was heavenly.

I had two tiny obstacles while reading: I felt the family drama resolved too quickly, and I would have loved Alex’s POV on the conflict resolution. While the character’s insight wasn’t super deep (what was there worked for the context), both had enough growth to satisfy you with the ending. Overall, this type of romance leaves the reader unable to sleep because you must finish the book immediately. Therefore, I think this is a novel the majority of romance readers are going to love!

I also enjoyed her debut novel Forget Me Not

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