Publishers Weekly
06/10/2024
Soto (Forget Me Not) makes philharmonic music downright sexy in this taut contemporary. Self-taught violinist Gwen Jackson is playing a fancy wedding in New Jersey when she borrows a cello from a grumpy wedding guest—who, insultingly, doesn’t recognize her as a fellow member of the Manhattan Pops, “the largest popular music orchestra in the United States.” Gwen knows him as Xander Thorne, bad-boy lead singer in a rock band when he’s not at the Pops. Later, thanks to YouTube, she learns that his real name is Alex Fitzgerald, that he was a violin prodigy and stopped playing the instrument for mysterious reasons, and that he’s her boss’s son. The initial animosity between Alex and Gwen obviously belies a blistering attraction, but the road to love has many bumps, including Gwen being promoted to the orchestra’s first chair over Alex and the machinations of both Alex’s manager and his stepfather, who aim to sabotage the relationship. While Alex comes off as a bit of a jerk at first, readers will fall for him as he falls for Gwen. Their chemistry is explosive, and the author injects the plot with just enough suspense to keep the pages flying. Soto’s sophomore outing will leave readers eager for her next story. (July)
From the Publisher
"The cello scene in this book will change your life."—Ali Hazelwood, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“100% pure romance magic.”—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author
“Not Another Love Song is an immediate five star read. This book will vibrate in your bones for days after you turn the last page. Julie Soto is quickly staking her claim as one of the greats in romance.”—Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors
“Like a balm made of all your favorite melodies, Not Another Love Song is the perfect cure for heartache. Julie Soto never misses!”—Ashley Poston, New York Times bestselling author
“Like the best of symphonies, Julie Soto’s book soars. (And I’ll never look at a cello quite the same way…)”—Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT bestselling author
A truly masterful composition! Julie Soto delivers the crescendoing intensity, transportive fluidity, and most of all the depth of feeling you get listening to an exceptional piece of music through Alex and Gwen’s passionate romance. At turns funny, moving, and fan-your-face steamy, I couldn’t put NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG DOWN!—Rosie Danan, USA Today bestselling author of Do Your Worst
"The most gorgeous, addictive, and enlivening romance I've read in ages, Not Another Love Song is on a brand new level of entertainment. Gwen and Xander's story is a flawless mix of tenderness, angst, and incendiary heat."—Tarah Dewitt, author of Savor It
This book is a masterclass in romance…the kind that touches every page with intense longing, makes the reader feel deeply the simmering, tightly-coiled tension, and had me jumping to my feet with the most satisfying HEA. Standing ovation for Julie Soto’s Not Another Love Song!—Susan Lee, author of The Name Drop
"The heat that explodes between Gwen and Xander is so intense you might feel compelled to look away. And you know the steamy pottery scene in “Ghost”? Just imagine a cello equivalent."—The Washington Post
"Soto makes philharmonic music downright sexy."—Publishers Weekly
“A phenomenal talent. Watch out, world - Julie Soto has arrived.”—Sarah Hawley, author of A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
“Julie Soto is the queen of heart flutters and swoony awesomeness.”—Penny Reid, New York Times bestselling author
“This musical romance hits the right notes with sizzling flirtation and tension.”—Kirkus
“Julie Soto knows how to give us a novel worth singing about. This is one duet that you definitely won't get out of your head.”—Cosmo.com
Library Journal
06/14/2024
Self-taught professional musician Gwen Jackson enjoys working for a popular orchestra but sometimes wonders whether she should try again to get into music school. She knows she's talented but is self-conscious about not being able to study music after high school. Alex Thorne, who plays in the same orchestra and is a legitimate music star outside of their shared job, plays music and moves through the world with a sense of belonging that Gwen knows she lacks. The two unexpectedly get to know each other and discover they have more in common than a passion for music, including complicated relationships with the personal and professional authority figures in their lives. As Gwen and Alex grow closer, each must decide how to balance others' expectations with their own needs and determine for themselves how much they'll allow their paths to be determined by outside forces. VERDICT Soto's (Forget Me Not) engaging novel, which is sure to be a hit with members of the Reylo fandom it originated from, should also circulate well in collections where contemporary romances are popular.—Nicole Williams
