June 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 1, 2024
Two talented musicians battle for professional recognition and against their increasing attraction. Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are talented performers with the Manhattan Pops Orchestra: She's a violinist; he's a cellist. When Gwen is hired to play the wedding of one of Xander's friends, she's stunned to realize that Xander has no clue who she is. Given that Xander is also from a family of famed and wealthy musicians, the snub stings even more. After all, Gwen's natural talent didn't come from good genetics or expensive lessons. Her gift was nurtured by a caring music shop owner, and, at times, she feels more at home busking in a subway station than in a fancy concert hall. Gwen seems to be beneath Xander's notice until she receives the coveted spot of first chair, further igniting their hostility toward one another. Beneath their personal antagonism, Gwen and Xander have a healthy amount of respect for each other's talent, which bubbles up and turns into sexual attraction. Some readers may find that the change from rivals to romantic partners progresses rather swiftly, but the close quarters and public setting is an ideal pressure cooker. This is a delightful spin on the workplace-relationship trope, trading buttoned-up boardrooms and Type A strivers for intense rehearsals and musical prodigies whose journeys to the same orchestra couldn't have been more different. There are some plot threads that don't land well, as when the orchestra decides to use Gwen and Xander's relationship to drum up publicity. Less is more if it allows a relationship to develop at a pace that won't give the reader whiplash. This musical romance hits the right notes with sizzling flirtation and tension.
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June 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
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