Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy! Love is a War Song (out July 22) is a loving, thoughtful novel about finding your family, connecting with your culture and community, and standing against the odds to pursue both happiness and your dreams.

Avery is the best imperfect, loveable heroine with a heart of gold. Despite not being familiar with life on a ranch, she is not a stranger to hard work—and proves herself at every opportunity, even it doesn't always turn out the way she hoped. She is ambitious and driven and is willing to sacrifice whatever she can to help the people she loves.

Lucas is a compassionate, gentle man who has worked hard for every single thing in his life. He's the strongest person in this novel, having experienced so much pain in his life and worked to come out of it—he knows his limits and sets boundaries and never lets his hardships take away his kindness.

Love is a War Song felt very well rounded, telling both Avery's story with her family and her and Lucas's romance. I want to emphasize that I especially love this book because Danica Nava doesn't sacrifice their relationship for a third act break-up to move the plot along. I hate the third act break-up, even when it makes sense thematically because I never see it well written—it always feels so immature or out of character for the couple. In this book, our characters are ripped apart from each other due to their different lives. They aren't mad at one another or stuck in a self-depreciating cycle, they know they love each other and are just looking for a way they can intertwine their futures together. I really, really love this choice! It makes it feel so much more realistic and heartwrenching for the reader, not frustration.

I loved Avery's journey to find her family and connect with her culture, learning who she really wants to be in the process. I enjoyed every part of this book, both normal plot and the romance because it was just that well written. Every character was fleshed out and had their own personality, making it such a fun read! The only thing I wish was included was maybe more positive scenes with her mom, maybe even a reconciliation with Hattie and Lottie.

4.5 stars, there will never be enough words to express how much I'm obsessed with this book! I am also on Storygraph and Instagram @alavenderlibrary

Give me a romcom any & every day! I will EAT IT UP! And that's exactly what I did with this one.

The dynamic between Avery & Lucas was everything and I enjoyed watching it progress. It never felt forced or rushed. We got just the right amount of spice for the story and the cowboy swoon was so real. Beyond that, this was a great exploration of family, identity, and maturing. Avery grew up as a child star and now she's an adult with a bad case of people pleasing and letting people guide her career like she was still a child. I loved to see her find her voice! I did want to know more about exactly what happened between her mom and grandmother though.

All in all, this was such a good read! And may be perfect for someone who is looking to start diversifying their reading. The Indigenous culture aspects (specifically, Muscogee here) were woven in perfectly and it was nice to go on that journey alongside Avery.

Omg I was laughing and loving this book from page one. It was the perfect summer read for me. Humor and emotional moments that just blended perfectly. Could not have asked for a better country cowboy romance to start me off

"Love is a War Song" just wasn’t for me. I went in expecting romcom-level charm, strong character development—especially around the complex topic of Native identity—and fun, engaging moments that would make me root for the characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver.

Avery Fox, a Muscogee pop star, is "canceled" after a tone-deaf photoshoot in a war bonnet. To escape the backlash, she’s sent to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to stay with her grandmother Lottie. There, she meets Lucas, the disinterested love interest, who immediately dislikes her.

I wanted to enjoy Avery and Lucas’s romance, but Avery’s character felt flat and overly cartoonish. Her inner dialogue lacked depth, and Lucas never became more than a moody placeholder. Most of the side characters were forgettable, with the exception of Lottie, who had promise but faded into the background as the story went on.

The writing was simple and easy to follow, but the world felt underdeveloped, and the romance lacked spark. I appreciated the concept and the intention behind the story, but the execution—both in writing style and character development—just didn’t click for me.

The premise of this was so good and I love the idea of a cowboy romance that is actually rooted in the original cowboys - the indigenous ones!

I had such a hard time with Avery as a person because, while it’s understandable to not know much about your own culture and heritage if you’ve been kept from it all your life, it was really hard to suspend disbelief enough to think that an adult woman in this day and age wouldn’t know about cultural insensitivity (even if it was just googling it). Like girl what do you MEAN you are just now hearing about Peter Pan???

I did love the found family (some blood related, some not) and definitely understood where Avery’s ignorance originated because her mom was the worst. I think we were supposed to forgive her, but alas. I am not so chill.

This honestly was giving Hannah Montana the movie which was very fun and also does help the sort of ditzy vibes. Cute, light, and chaotic.

I absolutely loved this book! I had heard great things about THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER, so I was excited to read Danica's next book. As someone who is not a huge fan of cowboy romances, but IS a huge fan of the Hannah Montana movie, this book was perfect for me. Lucas and Avery were such a cute couple, and Lucas had me swooning for real at certain points. I also appreciated that while this book had really fun cowboy romance tropes in it, it had real conversations about what connecting with Muscogee culture meant to Avery (and to Lucas). It made Avery and Lucas' love story all the more sweet and meaningful! I will definitely be comping this to the Hannah Montana movie and handselling this title for people new to the cowboy romance genre!

I really loved this concept and there are some cool things about it, like the setting and representation. But it's full of cliches (see: saving the girl from an aggressive cowboy in a bar) and jejune dialogue (see: the sudden confession of an opioid habit, the sudden disclosure of home ownership, the sudden revelation of who's the daddy...need I go on). There are also a few scenes that don't make any logical sense, notably the time she somehow faces him while riding double on a cantering horse or the time they make out right after she's had mouth-numbing dental work. I did a lot of rolling my eyes trying to finish this.

Avery Fox is an up and coming pop star and former Disney Channel child actress who finds herself in a social media storm after she’s photographed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine wearing a warbonnet, and is accused of cultural appropriation. In hopes that time will settle things and put her in less hot water with her record label, Avery’s mom sends her to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to stay with her estranged grandma, Lottie, at Red Fox Ranch. There, she begins to discover the Muscogee culture that she’s been missing all her life, with the help of grumpy ranch hand, Lucas.

Love is a War Song is an incredibly fun, heartfelt romance that plays into two seemingly Millennial fantasies: being a pop star, and dating a cowboy. Danica Nava was really able to capture the hot and stifling environment of the South, and the weather was almost its own character, coming into the novel at perfect moments to accelerate the relationship arc and push Avery and Lucas closer together. Overall, I thought the pacing of the character development was done very well, with Avery starting out as a clueless city girl who needs time to learn to navigate the ranch life, while finding family and community in the process.

I liked how the book portrayed finding community, and how that community can be grounding, even in the face of stratospheric dreams. I liked that, despite making a huge mistake, everyone was supportive of Avery continuing her music career on her own terms.

When you’re done reading this, I recommend watching the Hannah Montana movie–which Danica Nava mentions in her author’s note–to continue the pop star x cowboy romance vibes!

3.5⭐️

Thanks to Berkley Romance for the e-ARC!

I absolutely adored this book! It was sweet, it was heartwarming, it was romantic and funny. Our FMC Avery is sunshine personified and must be protected at all costs. I loved watching her learn about her family's culture and coming into her own. And Lucas. Sir. Grumpy and takes no sh*t but slowly caves to Avery's inevitable pull...yeah, I loved it!

Popstar Avery is constantly being told what to do - what to wear, where to go, what to a sing, how to dance. So when her Rolling Stones cover shoot features her scantily clad and in a warbonnet, she thinks nothing of it. But it leaves her trending, and not in a good way. Yes, Avery is a Muscogee Native American, but her photo was is deemed insensitive and naive, with hashtags like "Pretendian." Needing to get off the grid, Avery's mom (manager...) sends her to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to live with her estranged grandma on her ranch. Ranch hand Lucas immediately dislikes her, and Avery is put to work. When she finds out the ranch is failing, Avery wants to help, which involves helping Lucas to follow through on his dream and vision for the place. In exchange for her help, he agrees to show her what it means to be Muscogee. As Avery's true colors start to shine through, the two grow close. But saving her career means saying goodbye to Lucas. Will her decision drive them apart?

An unputdownable summer romcom! This has all the fixings of a good time - grumpy cowboy, fresh starts, found family, fish out of water, and a little spice! I loved Avery's character. Yes, she was a popstar, but she felt relatable and real. She grew up with people doing everything for her, and she grew from entitled and naive to genuine and informed. Lucas definitely viewed her as an arrogant and useless popstar, but that wasn't the case and I think they both grew to appreciate each other's imperfections. Lottie, Avery's, grandma, was a strong and proud woman, and I loved her devotion to her community and family (though she admittedly made mistakes with Avery's mom). I love a romance where I can also learn a little about a culture I'm unfamiliar with, and of course, the author is genuine and knowledgeable. Add this to your shelf!

Love is a War Song is so much more than just a romance novel! This is a perfect insight into the community that upholds Native American traditions.

Danica Nava is honestly a genius because when I realized it was Hannah Montana the movie inspired I screamed. We got the best of both worlds!

Avery Fox is an ex-act Disney star who is finally doing what she wants to do, music. Well mostly. She’s a songwriter too but the industry has other ideas on how a Native American singer should be. Other people’s decisions (including her momager) on how to dress and what she sings. Until backlash finds her and she gets thrown to the wolves that is the internet. After spending her whole life estranged from her family, Avery’s mom sends Avery to Oklahoma to the family horse breeding farm. That’s where she meets her cowboy, Lucas.

This is a SLOW burn with some touch and go. You really have to hang in there! Nothing goes very smoothly for Avery but she learns along the way what truly matters to her. So many life lessons had to be learned in this book it was such a real yet wholesome read, and HILARIOUS! Danica Nava made me laugh so much with her pop culture references and commentary throughout this book.

beautiful story about connecting with your culture and also it gives hannah montana: the movie in truly the best way i'm not joking at all.
I am white (jumpscare) so I have negative ground to stand on when it comes to talking about the Native representation so that is not what the review is for

I can however talk about the romance and it ATE!! I love Danica Nava's books and I need her to write 30 more please please please

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-cowboy x pop star
-frenemies to lovers
-close proximity
-opposites attract
-angsty

A popstar getting cancelled, a grumpy cowboy and family tensions. This was such a layered story with a fun romance at its heart.

Danica Nava does it again, this time with a different tone. I loved Avery's journey, both physical and emotional in this book. Learning about her family, her history, and herself, as well as falling in love with the cowboy we didn't know we wanted? Oh boy. I knew I was in trouble from the moment she was whistling in the dark and he caught her in the barn.
I adored this book. Highly recommended!

5 ⭐️ This is the romcom for the summer! You like cowboy romances? Read this. Do you like romcoms? Read this? What about a Pop Star x Ranch hand romance? READ THIS. Not to mention the fact that it's a native American romance! READ IT👏👏 Danica Nava is absolutely hilarious and I had so much fun reading this! She doesn't try hard to throw in pop culture references they literally flow so perfectly and she found her target audience with this one! This was funny, our mmc was swoon worthy and our FMC had so much self discovery it was a wonderful growth story.

This book was absolutely delightful. Danica Nava handles incredibly modern issues with grace and charm. Come for the cowboy. Stay for the beautifully written story of finding community.

Avery doesn’t know her Muscogee heritage, but her record label uses it to rise her to the top of the charts until she makes a huge mistake and is called out as faking that heritage. Her manager mother sends her to her grandmother on a ranch outside of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma where she works harder than she ever has, learns her heritage, experiences lots of laugh out loud moments, and falls in love. Insightful and romantic.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.
What a delight of a novel - celebrity, small town, cowboy romance is legit the perfect combination already, but make all the characters Native American? I said “sign me up” and I was absolutely not disappointed. The romance is stellar - Lucan is absolutely a book boyfriend. I can sell you on this in one scene:
Avery trips and is about to fall, but my man Lucas catches her. Holding her up he says “Steady now.”
What a line. These two are perfect together. I love the morals woven into the story: found family, being there for those you love, finding your roots and learning about the culture you were born to. It was a beautiful, fun story about learning and growing and Native American joy and I adored it.

If you read any cowboy romance, it HAS TO be this one. Nava perfectly pairs a popstar hiding out after a scandal with THE cowboy who made me want to be a "cowboy romance reader," except i know no other cowboy will meet my Lucas-high standards. Enemies at first sight is just so peak romance. I was so excited for this arc and I'm happy to report that it hooked me immediately. Included alongside the swoons is an important theme of identity.

What a perfect summer romance book. LOVE IS A WAR SONG was one of my most highly anticipated reads of this year and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Avery is incredibly gullible and messy at times, but her story was fun and somehow nostalgic to follow. This book made me laugh and swoon. It brought up all of the feelings I want romance books to invoke. My only complaint is that I wish the epilogue had been further in the future so that I could get confirmation that these two end up together long term. I’m not quite ready to let these characters go so I may need to reread this one soon.