#23 [2025/CBR17] Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

CBR17Bingo - "N" for "Not Another Love Song"

I found Not Another Love Song (2024) by Julie Soto through my book club. We didn't actually choose this one for book club, but another book clubber highly recommended it. This piqued my curiosity, and I was able to get it almost immediately on Audiobook. This is a young-adult romance, which I generally enjoyed. Although it wasn't my favorite, the emphasis on music throughout the story made it feel unique.

Gwen Jackson is a child prodigy and self-taught violinist. She has a job at the Manhattan Pops Orchestra, which she really enjoys. Her mentor, Mable, a woman at her music store who introduced her to the violin, wishes that Gwen had set her sights higher--going to Juilliard instead of settling for a middling professional orchestra.

Xander is a "rockstar" cellist, who is part of a rock band with classical instruments called Thorn and Roses. He is the object of many adoring fans. Gwen and Xander first meet when Gwen is playing a gig at a wedding with her roommate. After a miscommunication, she is required to play the cello in front of Xander, who just happens to be in the bridal party. Her musical ability as well as her ability to transpose her violin music to cello music captures Xander's attention.

Xander also just happens to have joined the Manhattan Pops orchestra even though he doesn't seem to like it or fit in at all. But that just means more opportunities for Xander and Gwen to run into each other. Eventually, they try playing together and, not unexpectedly, make beautiful music together. With all that mutual attraction, spending all that time together, and bonding over music, they inevitably end up together. 

This book also has a lot of drama. The orchestra is losing money, so they move Gwen to first chair--partly to advertise their hotshot, youngest first-chair ever. They also use Xander and Gwen's relationship to promote their orchestra. In addition, Xander is the previous first chair's son, and he is very bitter at not being made first chair himself. In any case, there is a lot of strain on their relationship. 

I played the clarinet in various school bands from sixth grade through college. And I really enjoyed creating music with a large group of people. Even though I did not have the talent nor dedication to pursue it professionally, I did love it. So, this book was partly fun for me because I could vicariously live the dream of the professional musician. I really enjoyed Gwen's job, and how the music was important to the plot. This helped elevate a book where Gwen and Xander's relationship might have been more frustrating without the music. Xander was often silent and uncommunicative and could come across as immature and annoying. Also, most of their problems simply stemmed from the fact that, although they were having a lot of sex, Gwen and Xander barely talked about anything important. But the music made it better.