Danica Nava has accomplished a most difficult task: a second book that's just as good (better) as the first!

The pop star hiding on a ranch is a great trope, and this story does it so well. But more than that, Lucas and Avery come to life!

"It's time for your biggest lesson on being Indian."
"And what is that?"
"Community. We can't do this ourselves. We need to ask for help. We need all of Broken Arrow behind us."

As an Oklahoman, it was so refreshing to read authentic Native voices that feel like real people I know. Not to mention, this is just a fantastic romance.

Avery Fox, a Muscogee pop star, finds herself in hot water after wearing a feather warbonnet on the cover of Rolling Stone. She’s never known much about her family or history as a Native person. So in order to prove she’s actually Indigenous her mom sends her to her grandmother’s ranch to learn a thing or two. There she meets Lucas Iron Eyes, a cowboy who hates her music and how she’s represented Native people in the public eye. They soon strike up an agreement: Avery will help to save her grandmother’s ranch and Lucas will teach her what it means to be Muscogee. Surely no romantic feelings will blossom between them… right?

I had such a great time reading this book, I absolutely flew through it! It was rewarding being able to see Avery’s transformation throughout the course of the story. Going from a pop star on music video sets to mucking out horse stalls was entertaining to read about. Getting to see her and Lucas go from being constantly annoyed by the other person to working together to falling for each other was great. I especially loved learning more about Lucas’ backstory and why he has a specific passion for what he wants to do with the horse ranch.

Avery’s personal journey with learning more about her family’s history, Muscogee people, and what she wants to do next with her career definitely feels like the main focus of the story. While the romance is obviously a super important part of the book, sometimes it ends up feeling like a subplot instead of the main plot. There’s a very slow build up and then it feels a bit rushed in the end.

But overall I had a wonderful time reading this book and I definitely recommend people add it to their TBRs.

A very funny, sometimes heart breaking, grumpy/sunshine fish out of water romance. The premise is simple, but the emotions get complicated as Avery attempts to reconcile the life she’s lived with who she could have been. Thanks to Berkley for the ARC.

‘Love is a War Song’ by Danica Nava (Review by Taylor Bridgeforth)

5 STARS

“Maybe you do leave here and forget all about me…but I know I’ll regret it until I am lying on my deathbed, kicking myself for never having you. Tasting you.”

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LUCAS IRON EYES

In a nutshell: ‘cancelled’ pop star, Avery Fox, has to lay low in Broken Arrow, OK on her grandmother's ranch and not fall in love with the local ranch hand.

LETS ALL LAUGH ON THREE.
1…
2…
3…
LOLOLOLOLOL

Om my goodness, I loved this book so much. From the beginning, before we even met Lucas (MMC), the dialogue was free and captivating (does this mean I should switch careers to pop stardom?).
And then when we got to meet Lucas, and he was all tall and silent with one word answers, while Avery was trying to prove to himself (and herself) that she wasn’t a lazy popstar on vacation.
THEIR BANTER WAS EPIC!!!!!!
And their love story was definitely a slow burn and then Lucas unleashed sweet everythings–having me SCREAMING!
If I haven’t convinced you to add ‘Love is a War Song’ by Danica Nava to your TBR, I don’t know what else to tell you. 2025’s grumpy/sunshine of the year indeed.
I am thoroughly enthralled with Danica’s stories. Danica being able to recreate her favorite shows and movies she saw growing up and making it her own with Native characters is beautiful and I’m so happy to be her reader for life. I can’t wait for what’s next, but I don’t think anyone can top Lucas Iron Eyes.

Guess who just finished their first cowboy romance 🙋🏽‍♀️ Love is a War Song has been one of my most anticipated reads this year and I’m so grateful that I live in the same timeline where stories like this are being written.

Avery Fox’s character is one of my favorite headstrong heroines ever. She’s hilarious, resilient, and a little chaotic. She gives herself the grace to lay down a little but gets back up regardless and I was rooting for her from start to finish. There was so much nuance to her character arc, from learning from her mistakes and forgiving herself, to learning about her culture and community. Culture was truly her medicine in this story and I think that’s the most powerful arc you can write for a character.

Lucas’ character was also incredibly layered and you can’t help but fall in love with his grumpy self. I appreciated the dyslexia representation and how Lucas overcame his learning impairment. Lucas and Avery’s chemistry is palpable from the very first scene and I just loved their growth!

There are also themes of racism, family secrets, overcoming generational trauma, and so many musical references! Fun fact, my dad loves country and that’s I all we listened to in the car growing up so I actually knew a thing or two about all the country stars mentioned in this book 😅

Thank you Danica Nava for writing books with Indigenous characters and celebrating their love and joy! Congratulations on writing the “the first second Native romcom traditionally published” lol. I loved The Truth According to Ember, loved Love is a War Song even more, and can’t wait for book 3!

This book was super cute! It was sweet and full of banter. I felt like I actually knew these characters. It was laugh out loud funny at times and swoons. This author is becoming one of my favorites

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing, for the ARC of this book. I really enjoy Danica Nava's stories. I loved The Truth According to Ember and I really enjoyed Love Is a War Song. Aside from the Rom-Com genre, which is my escapist go-to, especially given the state of the world right now, I really enjoy the insight into the Native cultures that Nava presents.

While not a huge pop-star like Avery Fox, I can relate to being confused and uninformed about Native and Indigenous culture and find myself wanting to learn the truth while shedding the societal perceptions and false stories that I've been brought up with. While the storyline may be somewhat simplistic in Love Is a War Song - fish out of water finds her authentic self, finds love, saves the farm - it's still introducing me and, I assume, a majority of readers to a world we know very little about in this capacity. Also, she does know how to write very sexy men.

I'm excited to read more Danica Nava books in the future and also to be introduced to more Indigenous authors that can broaden my understanding of life in communities that haven't had the opportunities to tell their stories to wider audiences.

Danica Nava has become one of my favorite rom-com writers! Her work is energetic, educational in spirit, and her heroes are always stunning! I'll be recommending this to patrons.

It took me a minute to get into this one because I couldn't figure out the vibes of our two MC's. But once things started flowing I was caught up! Lucas was so sweet and protective and Avery was so delightful and kind. I do wish we got to dive deeper into things: her background, her relationship with her mom/grandma etc. But other than that, this was so cute!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

3.75/5

This story left me wanting more: more romance, more bonding with her grandma, more growth in her decisions. Overall, this was cute, but I wanted to connect to this character more and learn about her culture with her. A lot of the characters felt glossed over and Avery never really developed much of a relationship with them, except for Lucas which is a relationship that felt like it jumped from attraction to love too quickly. I would have liked to see more of them getting to know each other.

3.25/5

singers running away to the countryside is an underrated trope and i need to speak on it..

there's no real reason i requested this arc, other than the cover. also i love reading new romance authors because i feel like i've read everything sometimes. i'm not completely sure what my expectations were for this book but it was just fine. there was kind of a lot going on plot wise and i don't think we dealt with anything enough.

the romance between avery and lucas was sweet but needed more buildup. there first kiss scene made sense but the rest of it was sort of underdeveloped. it was lovely to see avery find a place where she belonged. that element of self discovery was my favorite part of the book. some of the drama with her mother was over dramatic and just felt annoying. i wanted more sweet moments with people like bessie or more moments on the ranch with davey + red.

*thank you net galley and berkley for the arc!*

This was a very sweet contemporary romance that also dealt with themes of Indigenous identity, cancel culture, and family trauma. Avery has to learn some hard truths about the history of stereotyping Indigenous imagery, as well as about her family and tribal history. I really enjoyed the conversations around Indigenous identity, blood quantum, and what “counts” as “Indigenous enough.” In my own community, people often debate what “counts” as Jewish ancestry or “Jewish enough” (often related to ancestry, someone’s politics, or level of observance). It’s interesting to see how other communities deal with these issues.

4.5⭐️ oh my god this book was so nostalgic and made my childhood heart so so happy. If you loved the Hannah Montana movie, this one is for you!!

I honestly couldn’t put this one down and found myself so immersed in Danicas storytelling. I love the way she writes not only about the community, but how accepting and open they were to new people, like Avery. After doing a controversial photoshoot that was meant to be a statement turned into a riot, she’s sent to her grandmothers ranch to lay low and now has the opportunity to learn more about her heritage (even though she knows no one there, including said grandmother).

And our favorite cowboy, Lucas!! The banter between him and Avery was so good and you could just tell that he was so down bad for her even when they were bickering. My chest also ached when reading his story and I just wanted to give him a big hug.

There were some bumps here and there, but I loved seeing Avery’s character growth where she found her place that actually felt like a true home. She never gave up and always showed her hard work and determination and in return, found the best people in her life. I absolutely adored this one and look forward to seeing what’s next for Danica! Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review!

Avery Fox is a disgraced pop singer who tries to honor her Muscogee roots, but accidentally ends up sparking outrage. Lucas Iron Eyes is a hard working, thoughtful member of his community, and also smoking hot and the kind of cowboy that you want to ride if you are saving a horse to ride a cowboy. Put them together and this is a beautiful story about a woman learning about her family and her people by being in community with them, and in doing so, learning why it is so important to be present in the communities we call our own. The story telling here is gorgeous, and so are the characters, and I do need to also take a moment to give a shout out to my new favorite microtrope, only one tornado cellar, because, YEEHAW!!! It was a ride, in the best possible way. To tone down the thirst of this review for a just a moment, I loved how Avery's relationship with her grandmother grew, and how that eventually led to her also understanding her relationship with her mother. This book was funny, fun, sexy, and poignant, and I am so excited to get my copy of it when it releases!

Thank you to Danica Nava, Berkley, and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I appreciate indigenous representation in the romance genre and liked the main character here. It's clear that contemporary romance isn't for me, though. That said, I know romance readers in my store will like this book and I'll definitely buy it for the store and handsell to romance readers.

Such a touching romcom that is not just about the romance, but also about finding family, community, and identity. I loved the depiction of the horse ranch and the care with which the author gently explored Avery's Native American heritage. A fun and heartwarming read!

I read Danica Nava's first novel and knew I had to read this one so I was very grateful that I was able to get it through NetGalley! This book did not disappoint. I love the grumpy/sunshine hating-to-dating storyline! I also loved Avery's exploration of what family truly means. The only thing keeping it from being a 5 star review for me was that Avery found what family meant but it didn't feel like she really found out what it means to be Indigenous. She went to Oklahoma to find out why her photoshoot was so offensive (and to hide from the media) and Lucas promised to show her what it meant to be "Indian" but I feel like her culture wasn't explored the way it could have been. However, this was a funny, heartfelt, rom-com with a side of family issues and I'll be recommending it to library customers!

Danica Nava's second romance title pairs a canceled pop star and a grouchy ranch hand, who meet in Oklahoma while the former is laying low at her grandmother's ranch. Both are Muskogee, although Avery has no connection to her people and the current firestorm is about her participation in her label's cultural appropriation. While on the ranch, Lucas agrees to teach her about their community and, surprise, they fall for each other.
I don't read a lot of contemporary romance - the tropes and arcs are a little too obvious for me - but I find that Nava writes likeable characters AND the extra layer of representation adds a lot of interest. She has a platform with Berkeley and I appreciate that she's using it to explain ideas of representation and belonging to readers who might not have much prior knowledge. (Also, a book like The Indian Card would be a great deeper dive for people interested in enrollment, blood quantum, and other issues of tribal identity.)
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!

Avery and Lucas are my new OTP! It was super cool too see a perspective I am not super familiar with. Avery was incredibly strong and inspirational, and watching her reconnect with her roots was amazing. Lucas himself was such a great person, just so in tune with himself, but still became better with Avery. The way their stories intertwined was so perfect, they way they interacted was both wholesome and spicy, and I can't wait for more from Danica!

I have a book hangover after this, and I'm not mad about it :)

A cool concept and a cute story.

I would have loved this more if the usual dumb romcom barriers weren’t inserted so hamfistedly.
Avery was a great heroine and I loved her development and growth as she discovered herself and her heritage, but unfortunately Lucas was not as well developed and I needed more depth from him.
But I’m super happy to read a book with Native American characters written by a Native American author, those parts seemed so authentic and the cultural aspects were inserted so organically I loved them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc, these opinions are unbiased.