Thank you very much to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have since purchased my own copy of this book.
Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but each has had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by a kind shop owner.
After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is—despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. But she’s more furious that he arrogantly critiques her performance.
When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, something Xander had secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, suddenly they’re box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt…
After reading (and loving) Forget Me Not last year, I’ve been so excited to get my hands on another book by this author. I had high hopes for this one going in and it certainly lived up to them all. It is a fast-paced story that had me hooked from the very first chapter. If you love romance and music, this is one for you.
Gwen and Xander are both musical prodigies, but each of them had different paths to success. Xander as born into musical royalty whilst Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by someone close. When Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she is mortified when she realises Xander has no idea who she is. Despite working alongside each other for a year at the Pops Orchestra.
When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, which Xander wanted for himself, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry is off the scale. As they explore their feelings for each other, they become box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed.
I loved the characters in this book which is mostly told from Gwen’s POV other than some interludes from Alex’s POV. Gwen is a people pleaser at heart who I wish stood up for herself more at certain points in the book. Despite that, she is caring, vibrant and charming. I’m so glad we got to see her learn more about herself throughout the book and learn she deserves more than just to settle for something she is used to.
Alex took me time to warm up to but once I did, he was wonderful. He appears to be arrogant and grumpy but as you get to know him you learn he is caring, thoughtful and just wants what is best for him and those around him.
The romance between the pair is exceptional. The slow burn build-up was done perfectly as you could quite literally cut the tension between them with a knife. The spicier scenes in this book are some of the best I’ve ever read in romance and their chemistry is undeniable. Plus, the way that they speak to each other through their music is stunning.
At its heart, this book is a love letter to music and the effect it can have on you and those around you. It even made me miss playing my guitar. I loved that the characters use music to express their emotions when words aren’t easy or enough.
Julie Soto is an author whose books I will buying more of when they are released in the future. I love the stories she tells, her characters and the way in which she hooks her readers from the first page. Also, the little cameos of the characters from her first book were excellent.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Not Another Love Song. It is a fast-paced, heart-warming romance that has music at its centre. I would highly recommend it!
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