Former child star turned pop princess, Avery Fox, has worked most of her twenty-three years to be a successful singer with a manager mother who fits the unappealing cliché of her kind. When Avery goes along with the team producing her newest song’s video by wearing a war bonnet on the cover of Rolling Stone, her career immediately appears to tank. She is on everyone’s social media hate list including some of those from the Native American culture she thought to embrace. Avery’s mother sends her to Eastern Oklahoma to her grandmother, Lottie, whom she has never met, to essentially hide out from the public. Lottie owns a struggling horse ranch with one particular ranch hand, Lucas Iron Eyes, who seems to despise Avery from the beginning.

Lucas has worked the ranch since he left home at age sixteen. He has little time or inclination towards making Avery’s life more comfortable. Lucas cares deeply about saving the ranch as well as for the horses in his care. As Avery learns her way around her new temporary home with a series of mishaps, she gets to know her grandmother and Indian culture. Avery realizes she has missed out on so much of her heritage and family. She tries to redeem herself and save her the Red Fox Ranch while doing a complicated dance with Lucas as their mutual attraction grows.

The romance between Avery and Lucas is not really that prominent; this story focuses more on Avery navigating between her up to now unknown family history and what kind of career she really wants. This story has a Young Adult feel for the romance and is filled with pop culture references. It speaks to the vagaries of pop stardom, social media, and the appropriation of Native American culture for monetary reasons.

A must read! My first book by Danica and this will not be my last. This was such a heartwarming and sweet story. If you love cowboys and rom-come, this one is for you!

This book had excellent banter! Lucas and Avery had me cracking up with their back and forth. This book was filled with important messages that are current to today’s times. It’s about how people can make mistakes, the need for lessons to be learned from those mistakes, and the nuances between intent and impact.

Avery’s character growth and development as an FMC was phenomenal. And what isn’t there to love about Lucas?!

Love is a war song is a cute cowboy romance. The storyline was cool and the country element was a pleasant change to what I’ve been reading.

The perfect summer read! Cowboys in Oklahoma with Native rep?! Sign me upppp.

Our FMC, Avery Fox a pop singer gets into trouble and in order to hide from the public eye goes to live with her estranged family on their horse ranch. There she meets Lucas a ranch hand. They initially don’t get along right out the gate but after making a truce that will benefit each other, we see their relationship start to flourish.

This book is actually the Hannah Montana movie but with Native American culture threaded throughout and I really loved it.

3.75 stars rounded up! A Native American cowboy romance? Sign me up! First of all this book is FUNNY. Like multiple moments where I chuckled and could envision this to be a summer DCOM airing in like 2012 (complimentary). It had a few moments where it was getting to be a bit *too* cheesy at the end. I almost wish she just removed all the spice and made it YA instead because the FMC was giving “but daddy I love him” vibes lol. Regardless it’s so cute and I’ll definitely be recommending it to people. Especially fans of Hannah Montana: The Movie and It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc. Love is a War Song comes out July 22, 2025!

One of the funniest scenes:

“What time is it?” I asked Lucas, who was peeking through the window. “A little before five.” “You can tell that just by looking at the sky?” This was some Crocodile Dundee shit. I liked it. “Oh yeah, the ancestors taught us way back when how to tell the hour based on the color of the clouds as they move in the predawn sky.” I scurried to the window. “Wow, how do I do that? You know what, I think I see what you mean. That dark purple means five?” I asked, looking at the still-dark world that was slowly giving in to the day. “No.”“Not purple?” I squinted. “I don’t really see another color.” “I was joking.” He nudged me with his shoulder and continued, “I’m wearing a watch.”

LOL

Pop singer Avery Fox becomes a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. Angering fans and critics alike, Avery’s momager decides to send her back to the family ranch in Oklahoma until the scandal blows over. Problem is, Avery doesn’t know her Native roots or family history and has no idea what to expect. She definitely isn’t expecting a dirty cowboy to pick her up and turn her world inside out. Lucas Iron Eyes has worked on Lottie Fox’s ranch since he was a troubled teen, he’s handsome and hardworking, and he knows just how to get under Avery’s skin. When Avery learns her grandmother’s ranch is in danger of being sold, along with Lucas and a new found family, they will come together to save her legacy.

This is it - a new binge-worthy cowboy romcom! I completely ate up this whole book. The story really grabbed my attention, maybe because I was/am a fan of Hannah Montana and this borrowed the basic bones of the movie. Full with indigenous representation and a unique take on the standard genre. Avery was the typical annoying, aloof, and gullible starlet at the beginning and grew to be a quite likable singer and well rounded person.

Lucas was the grumpy cowboy, a caring tortured hero, to be honest very swoon worthy! I thought Avery and Lucas’ first meeting was a meet-cute, even as she was having a bad day after traveling to Oklahoma. Their connection and following friendship grows throughout the book with lots of sparks and was very fun to follow. I loved that he teaches her about the ranch, horses, and how to be Indian by introducing her to the community and their stickball game.

Despite being a lighthearted read, both characters come from tough backgrounds and I liked how the author handled the emotional interactions. This is a great follow up to her debut novel with themes of community and belonging woven in the plot that made it very enjoyable overall!

Thank you to Berkley for the review copy.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Danica never misses. Period. End of discussion. I have never loved a book the way that I loved this one. I will make this my entire personality for the foreseeable future. It reminded me of Hannah Montana: The Movie in the best way. Plus two Indigenous leads? Yeah, sold.

The way Danica writes is so effortless. It’s incredibly easy to get lost in the words and story. I felt myself understanding Avery and her motivations. I don’t want to spoil anything, but as someone who’s Indigenous relatives hid part of their identity because of the times and I’ve spent years trying to figure out the tribe I come from so I can enroll and pay dues, I understood Avery and her desire to learn that side of herself. I loved her relationship with Lucas and I loved how much they were able to volley back and forth.

That cellar scene? I’ll never recover.

If there’s any book I could recommend to any reader- it’s this one. You will fall in love with Avery and Lucas, and of course my girl Lottie so easily. Pre-order this, buy it, support it. You won’t regret it!

Read this if you like:
•celebrity romances
•cowboy romances
•indigenous rep
•Hannah Montana movie

This book was so cute. Avery feels like her life is out of control after the media turns on her. Her momager (mom/manager) sends her to Oklahoma to see the grandma she’s never met and to lay low. She leaned a lot about herself and more importantly her indigenous roots. Thank you Berkley for eARC

I enjoyed Love Is A War Song and Danica Nava's amazing representation of the Indigenous community. After reading her debut novel, I admittedly had very high hopes for this release. I definitely think my expectations were met. They are completely different novels so I appreciate the range of writing and the story development. Overall, enjoyed this one and look forward to what comes next.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley

“Love is a War Song” was such a cute and easy read.
It leans into the classic “pop star in the country” trope, but in a really fun and heartwarming way. I enjoyed watching Avery navigate ranch life while reconnecting with her culture and figuring out what really matters to her. It’s a sweet story with just the right mix of humor, growth, and romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley for this advanced reader copy! You can pick up Love Is a War Song on July 22, 2025!
_

5 ⭐️

OMG—this book is amazing!

If you’re a fan of Elsie Silver’s cowboy romance, then you’ll like Love Is a War Song! I haven’t read many cowboy love stories, and this one is my favorite. This got to be the perfect summer romance read of the year!

I fell in love with Nava’s writing style and the characters. Avery and Lucas’s relationship made me giggle and kicking my feet in the air. I especially love a good grumpy cowboy, and a sunshine pop-star.

This book blew me away, and I finished this book in one day.

I highly recommend Love Is a War Song if you’re looking for:

- grumpy x sunshine
- small town romance
- indigenous rep
- cowboy romance

What do you do when you mess up, unintentionally, in front of the entire world? For Avery Fox, doing a music video trying to reclaim the image of Native American women was done with every good intention, but the optics were the absolute worst, and the world turned against her. Her momager decides to send her "canceled" daughter to the family Avery has never known, at a horse ranch in Oklahoma.

Avery, used to the poshest of lifestyles, is the proverbial fish out of water amidst a group of strangers. Her grandmother Lottie is gruff, the ranch crew is skeptical, and Lucas hates her on sight (it's mutual, mm-hmm). With no other option, Avery does her best to deal with every new experience at the ranch. Her hair gets chewed on by a horse, she's forever stepping on poop, and she can't get over how obnoxious, and hot, Lucas is.

Lucas, meanwhile, has a dream that he is sure will never come true. He works at Lottie's slowly sinking ranch because it's the only place that has welcomed him, and the last thing he needs is some prissy pop star messing up every chore she tries her hand at. And that song she keeps babbling about? It could use some work, he tells her, to her face.

There is a reckoning coming for Avery - not just about her singing career, and not just dealing with her complicated feelings for Lucas. But her heritage, her family - will she embrace them, or will she go back to her glitz and glamour world the moment the scandal blows over?

I loved Avery and Lucas, and grandma Lottie, and the rest of the ranch crew. In a world where insta-fame can be achieved or lost in a second, Danica Nava dives into the lives of those affected. Avery's decisions don't affect just her. As she becomes part of the ranch family, she realizes that the more meaningful connections she makes, the more she changes. This book really was so good and I cannot wait for whatever Ms Nava writes next!

4.25⭐️

Thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the finished copy & ALC. ‧₊˚⊹

♡ I love when romances bring originality, while still honoring traditional romance tropes & a feel good story.

Pop singer Avery Fox is about to be canceled after her ill-advised (“label made me do it”) sexy video in a feather warbonnet goes viral.

Some time spent on the Rez outside the limelight could be the respite Avery needs. Plus, if she can get proof of tribal citizenship, maybe the keyboard warriors will back down.

Of course Avery gets way more than she bargained for… including having a tooth knocked out in a particularly passionate game of stick ball. You’ll have to read it to believe it. 😂🙈

I fell in love with blue collar, storm cloud eyed Lucas: a man of few words, a true cowboy and a gentleman, who is most at home on the ranch. Get ready for a slow burn, with some spice 🌶️

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။‌‌‌‌‌|• 🎧 Kyla Garcia on audio was impressive — Avery sounds just like a bubbly celebrity personality while Lucas has a swoony country twang. Def recommend trying this one on audio!

♡₊˚⊹ The author’s note in this one hit me in the feels as someone who wished to see more representation in books I read growing up. 🫶🏽

This was such a heartwarming and enjoyable read! I really liked the mix of tropes, grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers.
Avery’s journey from a pop star caught in a scandal to reconnecting with her roots on a horse ranch was both emotional and fun. Lucas was the perfect grumpy cowboy with a soft heart, and watching their slow burn romance unfold was sweet and satisfying.
The Native American representation and cultural themes added depth and made the story feel fresh and meaningful. I also loved the found family aspect and the sense of community on the ranch. Some plot points felt a little rushed or unresolved, and the pacing could have been better, but overall, I really enjoyed it. If you like small town romance, slow burns, and stories about identity and growth, this is a great pick.

This was a very fun read that felt like a Hallmark movie without some of the normal pitfalls of one. Avery Fox is a Disney child star, who is launching her music career with a momager from hell and very little agency of her own. From the outside, it was very obvious that what she was doing with the song/music video/Rolling Stone cover was going to drop like a stone, but Avery has been steamrolled by her mother so long, she used to just going with it. Once it all backfires, she's sent to stay with her grandmother (that she's never met) on a horse farm in Oklahoma until the heat dies down.

It's enemies to loves, it's grumpy/sunshine, it's fish out of water, and at the end of the day, it's about family, love, and figuring out who you are when the whole story has been hidden from you all your life. Avery's a little too naive at times and Lucas is a little too harsh and scolding, but luckily, they get over that quickly. The other ranch hands are fun characters that I wish we got to know more as well as some of the other side characters that fill out this world away from the world.

There were a few plot points/storylines that felt like they were dropped halfway through and it was hard to tell how much time was passing. When Avery's mom shows up and it's only been a month, that was a bit shocking. I also wish the family stuff had been more resolve or explained as it didn't feel like there was enough to understand the reactions all of the Fox women had with each other.

But I enjoyed this novel, savoring it over many days, so I wouldn't finish too quickly. Definitely love this author!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book! #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyIG #berkley #berkleyromance #LoveIsAWarSong #DanicaNava

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟒.𝟓★

Danica Nava is now an auto-read author for me! After loving The Truth According to Ember, I was excited to get my hands on Love is a War Song. This book was such a fun rom-com with Hannah Montana vibes and Avery and Lucas as the most amazing characters. I loved the fish-out-of-water trope, which is one I don’t come across often. I especially enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine and slow burn relationship between Avery and Lucas as the two were forced to work together on the ranch in Oklahoma. But most of all, I loved the Native American representation and the ultimate focus on community and belonging. While I laughed and swooned, I also appreciated the opportunity to learn while reading this book too. I can’t wait to read whatever Nava writes next, and I hope you will take the opportunity to pick up a copy of this one and read it too!

🐴Hannah Montana Vibes
🐴Grumpy x Sunshine
🐴Slow Burn
🐴Fish-Out-of-Water
🐴Found Family
🐴Cowboy Romance
🐴Native American Representation

Posted on Goodreads on July 10, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 10, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 22, 2025
**-will post on designated date

I absolutely loved the first book from Danica Nava, so I went into Love Is a War Song with high hopes. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the same for me. The “celebrity in trouble meets normal person” trope isn’t my favorite, and while it tried to go for grumpy/sunshine, the dynamic didn’t feel fully developed; it was neither grumpy nor sunny enough. The pacing felt off at times, and it might’ve tried to juggle too many tropes at once. Still, Nava’s writing is strong, and fans of the trope might enjoy this more than I did. Thank you for the ARC and looking forward to reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed Danica Nava’s debut, The Truth According to Ember, so I was excited to receive an ARC of Love Is a War Song. It didn’t quite match the way I felt about Ember, but it was still a quick, enjoyable read — 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Avery Fox is a Native American pop star/former Disney Channel actress who gets canceled after appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in a warbonnet. She’s accused of not actually being Native American and appropriating the culture. She receives death threats, is on the verge of losing her record deal, and is the subject of a media firestorm. Her momager sends Avery to live with her estranged grandmother in small-town Oklahoma to get out of the spotlight.

I love a fish-out-of-water story, and it was fun to see Avery adjust to life on her grandmother’s horse ranch. Her love interest is Lucas, a cowboy at the ranch, who’s a bit of an ass at first but gradually comes to like and understand Avery.

The book shines in its depictions of Native culture and identity, and the bond between Avery, her grandma, and their community. But it was missing the spark and voice Ember had. The dialogue felt weirdly stilted. Moments that should have been bigger or more emotional lacked impact because they weren’t given much time on the page or explored too deeply. The romance also took a while to get going and was missing some relationship development. I think this book works better as women’s fiction than straight-up romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This read was a lot of fun, I love a cowboy and the community in this book was so compelling. It was harder to align with the main character early on — but her ignorance is intentional, and her growth is clear.

I wanted more characters, more insight into the cast, because that aspect of the book was so rich — but that doesn’t mean I didn’t deeply enjoy the couple! They worked (once they wanted to) and their support for each other was impactful.

Catch me riding a horse (or a cowboy) ASAP

4 stars - It was really good

Pop singer Avery Fox thinks she is finally hitting it big with her new single. But she quickly became the national joke after posing on the cover of Rolling Stones in a feather warbonnet. Her statement of success as Native American singer has quickly turned her into a social pariah. With death threats coming in, Avery escapes to estranged grandmother's farm in Oklahoma. Now she has to learn how to work on a horse ranch, but she gets the chance to connect with her heritage and her grandmother.

I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book because I don’t really love musician romances, but I thought I would give it a chance since Nava is a new author. I was hooked on Avery's story from the beginning, which was surprising because I didn’t really like her at first. She just goes along with everything her mother and label plans and does fight for what she wants. But she finally starts finding her true self on her grandmother’s ranch and that is when I really started to love her character and her growth.

I liked Lucas from the very beginning because he wasn’t afraid to tell Avery how he felt. He was honest and determined to live his life how he wanted. His backstory was very heartbreaking but it just made him into a stronger and more determined man. I also really liked Lucas’ dream for the ranch and kind of wish we got an epilogue that showed it.

“I was surviving before I met you. Now I’m living.”

Avery and Luca’s romance was a slow building one as they got to know each other. At first Lucas kind of hates Avery because he thinks she is presenting a bad image for Native American women. That changes though as he spends time with her and gets to know the woman behind the songs, and hear the songs she wrote. Their relationship was a slow building one but was very emotional because they both know it won’t last since they have two different lives. I really enjoyed the relationship and how they had to work for a future together and learn to compromise. Also, this finally pushes Avery to fight for what she truly wants.

Overall, this was a wonderful book about reconnecting with family, reconnecting with your heritage, and learning to fight for what you want. I really enjoyed Nava’s writing style and plan to read her other book now.

TW: toxic and controlling parents; potential loss of home and job; mention of alcohol and drug addiction;