I’ve been excited for this since the sneak peek at the end of The Truth According To Ember, and it did not disappoint.

The fish out of water trope was wonderfully executed in this story. Avery is truly out of her element, but she yearns to find the community and family she’s been missing all her life. A highlight of the story was seeing Avery welcomed into the community and the bond she built with her grandmother. Her dynamic with her mother is complicated, but I enjoyed watching her stand up for herself and what she wanted. I also loved how self-aware Avery's narration was in calling herself out for being attracted to a man that, ostensibly, couldn't stand her:joy:

Lucas has an equally complicated history, and I enjoyed the glimpses we got into his past. I think in a perfect world we would have gotten hints at him being sober earlier in the story, because it came as a bit of a surprise when it was mentioned at his dad's birthday dinner. He was wonderfully grumpy, and I loved how easily he got under Avery's skin. At the same time, the closer they grew, the more protective he became #swoon.

Lucas and Avery were so dang cute together. Their banter is on point from their first meeting, and their mutual annoyance with each other only makes the chemistry that much better. They’re from two completely different worlds, and the tension between their desire for each other and their looming real world obligations added an element of angst, making the payoff of when they finally get together even more satisfying. And don't get me started on when Avery got lost when the tornado was coming and Lucas game to her rescue, ugh I LOVEEEEE.

In short, this had all the vibes of a classic rom-com, and should most definitely be on your list!

I thoroughly enjoyed this.
We have Avery, a Muscogee pop singer, who grew up unaware of her heritage and ends up on the cusp of being canceled when a Rolling Stone Cover goes wrong.

Off she gets shipped to Oklahoma, to her grandmother, to lay low, and learn about her Muscogee history. I loved seeing her come from LA and enter a completely different world in Oklahoma. Her grandma Lottie runs a horse ranch, where Avery is put to work, and while she really does know what she's doing, she does her best. I loved seeing her make these new connections and friends. And her banter with Lucas had me laughing out loud. Their chemistry was sizzling, and the relationship was sweet.

This was a great book from beginning to end, and one I would definitely recommend.
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Danica Nava does it again! Love is a War Song was a beautiful and un-put-downable read, with deeply emotional characters and a story that was so much more than a romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I enjoyed this reading about Avery going back to her mom's hometown to stay with her grandmother to learn more about her culture as an indigenous woman after a PR disaster. Her intention going to Oklahoma were purely business, but it was endearing to read about her growing closer to who she is and being in a new environment where she could be a lot more laid back over time. The romance was cute. Pretty simple, but in a good way. I think if you want a straight to the point romance then this will be good. The stakes were pretty low and the drama was limited in my opinion. This was kind of enemies to lovers with a few other tropes in between. They were definitely opposites personality wise, but they were still cute to read over all. It was a little cheesy at times, but for me that's to be expected in a romcom.

I loved the cowboy vibes. The writing was great. My ONLY gripe is it had some modern language that just didn’t rub me the right way. Other than that - I had so much fun, my legs were kicking, and I was smiling like it was my man!

This is the second book I read from this author that I loved. The native representation is fun to read - learning about them (without learning) made this story extra exciting.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Avery Fox is a Native American popstar who is under critique for a misguided photoshoot. To let the heat die down, Avery’s mom sends her to her grandmother Lottie’s ranch in Oklahoma. Here she learns about her family and being Native. It also helps that she has Lucas, the ranch hand, to help her out.

Romance has always been more than just the HEA for me. I feel like I do learn a lot about myself, my love languages, and how to be romantic while reading them. But Danica Nava, takes learning a step further. It’s a pretty common goal for a lot of readers to strive to read diversely and I always like to remember that this doesn’t always have to be non-fiction to learn about history and cultures different from mine. Nava does this expertly with wit and earnestness. This a low spice romance that gives you all the vibes of the Hannah Montana movie, but with a more diverse cast of characters. Read this if you want a unique cowboy romance that will have you swooning and laughing in equal measure. I seriously want this to be made into a movie with its own soundtrack!!!

alexa, play you’ll always find your way back home by hannah montana. THE BOOK OF THE SUMMER FR FR. God I had so much fun reading this one.

we have avery fox, the native pop singer who, after a scandal and public outrage, has to escape to her estranged grandmother’s ranch for the summer and then we have lucas iron eyes (🥵), who runs the ranch and cannot stand avery fox. but then they have to team up to save the ranch and totally not fall in love and well…

these two are HOT and the absolutely electric banter danica infuses into this book is magical. they really balanced and challenged each other perfectly and watching the extremely grumpy lucas slowly MELT for avery was addicting. and avery’s character development and growth was gorgeous. I loooooove the vibrant cast of characters and community in this book, I love the setting, I love the complex family dynamics, I love the way the people in their community show up for one another. gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous start to finish

I have been in a huge reading slump lately and Love is a War Song pulled me right out. I devoured it. It had Hannah Montana: The Movie vibes, so if you like that movie I would recommend reading this book.

I love cowboy romances and celebrity romances and this book put the two together and it was amazing!! The romance was top tier. It was such a good slow burn.

I love how Avery and Lucas’ relationship evolved. The two really clashed in the beginning, but as the story went on they started to fall for each other and I loved it.

I really liked how Avery also learned more about her ancestry and her past and really embraced it.

If you crossed a city-slicker pop princess romance with a classic ranch romcom—then layered in honest, grounded Indigenous representation—you’d get Love Is a War Song. It’s soft, a little over-the-top, and exactly the kind of heartwarming escape read that still manages to say something meaningful.

Avery Fox is a disgraced pop star who retreats to her grandmother’s ranch after a cultural controversy tanks her career. Lucas Iron Eyes is the brooding cowboy who wants nothing to do with her—or what she represents. But forced proximity, family obligations, and unexpected chemistry have other plans.

The romance is familiar in the best way: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, a touch of emotional growth. Some scenes are cheesy (and the pop culture references a bit much), but there’s a certain charm in its predictability. It leans into the romcom formula with full confidence, even if a few moments are more made-for-TV than grounded drama.

What sets this story apart is its Indigenous representation.

Cowboy romances are everywhere—but it’s rare to find one written by an Indigenous author about Indigenous characters. Nava delivers a story where culture isn’t explained for outsiders or treated as decoration. It’s embedded in the ranch, the relationships, and the quiet journey of reconnecting with identity. And that matters.

It’s not perfect—some dialogue clunks, some pacing lags—but it has heart, authenticity, and something the genre desperately needs: stories that center Indigenous voices in the present, not just the past.

Thank you Berkley for an ARC. I was very intrigued by this. Hannah Montana meets Cowboy romance? Sign me up

I’m in the middle with how much to like this book. I didn’t hate it. But I think it was too much pop culture references thrown into a 300 page book

Let’s start with our FMC, Avery. She gives off It Girl who’s more than a touch obtuse. I was trying to find any redeeming quality where it came to her and she just gave off airhead vibes. I think what’s frustrating is that she never pushed her Mom for any familial history/background until she got labeled a fake Native American and had to be exiled to Oklahoma to stay with estranged family to get some answers. Even when her mom came back, she ran when she eavesdropped on a conversation.

Next is our MMC, Lucas. This is where I wished this book was dual POV. He was such a mystery that we only got to know him through Avery’s POV as a grumpy cowboy. And then again with his family’s tense dynamic, we only saw it through her POV. I would have loved his inner thoughts regarding them and their relationship through him telling Avery. Especially when Avery left, I wanted to read more about Lucas.

Let’s talk Lucas and Avery as a couple. It was hard to root for them to be together since Lucas was undoubtedly mean in the beginning. I get the tough-love act. But it was more tough than love for a lot of this book. I did want more of an emotional buildup between them than what we were given because it seemed based on physical attraction at first.

The side characters were great. I thought Lottie was the perfect example of a stern grandmother. I also wished that we got a singular chapter of her POV, because that would’ve really made this book special

All in all, if you love western romances, you’ll like this. If you like pop star romances, you’ll like this. This didn't wow me like I hoped until the last chapter.

3.75

This is my favorite RomCom of the year!!! I am obsessed. There is SO much to love in this book from the storyline, the enemies to lovers and "thrown into a ranch, but knows nothing of horses, with no money and no outside communication" troupes, to the fabulous characters and a setting that I wish I could dive into. I loved Avery's arc so much because she was not the spoiled, pop diva that she seemed, and this is apparent right away. She just wants to help everyone and she gives in too easily to the people who were supposed to protect her. She learns to not only stand up for herself, but trust herself and listen to her own wants and needs. Lucas was immediately adorable with his hate for pop dance music and his passion for the ranch and his dream of helping kids. Getting to know him was amazing and heartbreaking. These two had immediate chemistry, even from the grumpy meet-cute.
What I loved most of all about this story was the theme of finding you family, finding you place and your home. I think everyone can relate to the need to find belonging and learn more about yourself and your family. The way that Avery learned not only about her Native American culture, but also about her own family and new friends made my heart burst with happiness. The themes of what really qualifies as "belonging" were so important and again so relevant to everyone because what really matter is how you treat and support your community and loved ones.
The book was full of laughs and emotion, and some tough themes handled so well. The setting was written perfectly; I am not an outdoorsy person, but I wanted to visit the Ranch and watch stickball immediately.
I loved this book so much!

I read Danica’s debut, THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER, earlier this year and I’ve been impatiently awaiting her next release!

LOVE IS A WAR SONG is easily one of my favorite romances of 2025 🥰 I truly had the best time with Avery and Lucas’s love story 💚

Their slow-burn romance was swoony and worth the wait! Danica’s writing is witty, fun, and full of lovable side characters.

💚 Native rep
🎤 popstar x cowboy
💚 grumpy / sunshine
🎤 small town
💚 fish out of water

I loved the music references 🎶, the horses 🐎, and Avery’s cooking journey.

It made me so happy seeing this book all over my feed yesterday for pub day 🎉 congratulations to @danica_nava on this beautiful book that I’ll be recommending to everyone 💚

This was a pop star/cowboy romance. I loved the setting of the ranch and Avery returning home to discover her roots. I would have liked to see a little more character development for Avery's grandmother and mother. They felt a little wooden and her mother especially was cliched. I liked Lucas and Avery together. Their relationship was fun. I found this book to be a really enjoyable rom com overall.

I knew from reading the first chapter that this would be my favorite book of the year. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a romance that I’ve throughly enjoyed! I love the whole fish out of water storyline. It was interesting to read about Avery stumbling her way around her new lifestyle. It made for such wonderful character growth! Also the way her community embraced her with open arms was so so beautiful. I can’t recommend this book enough.

A beautiful story full of the strength of culture, heritage, family and roots. The story telling was terrific and it felt so intimate and authentic. This story made me so happy and brightened my day!!

I binged this SO FAST. Not only was it cute and hilarious but had important lessons and representation.

Avery is a famous Native American pop star who is learning a hard lesson about the negative effects of misrepresenting her culture in front of the entire world. Her momager decides to send her back to their home time to spend time with her grandmother out of the public eye. Avery and her mother make this decision as more of a PR move than a genuine interest in connecting with family and culture but Avery quickly has a change of heart once she meets her grandma, some endearing locals, and Lucas, an attractive ranch hand who cares deeply for his community.

I really enjoyed the romance in this but it was so much more than that. Lucas and Avery learned a lot from each other and once Lucas opened up to the realization that Avery was more than just a vapid pop start he became patient with growth. I loved Avery’s relationship with her grandma. Her grandma didn’t take it easy on her but it was all out of love and her spunk brought so many fun moments to the story. Lucas’ back story was a wonderful reminder that anyone can get their life together and not everyone’s success story looks the same.
I also connected with the feeling of having deep love for your culture and ancestry but at the same time feeling like a fish out of water that has so much to learn.

This was a truly fun and beautiful story. I hope for all the success for Danica and that it leads to more Natuve representation in the publishing world.

Pop singer Avery Fox is about to be cancelled and dubbed a fake Indian. Her mother/manager sends her to spend time with her grandmother at the family’s Red Fox Ranch in Oklahoma. Avery meets Lucas Iron Eyes, who has lived and worked on the ranch since he was sixteen. He helps Avery learn what it is like to live at the ranch and the meaning of family and community.

I love reading books that are set in locations I know, and Oklahoma doesn’t pop up too often. I love that Danica Nava has her charters as indigenous and recognizes that all nations have very different cultures, while sharing some. I enjoyed Danica’s second novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an advance review copy. #LoveIsaWarSong #NetGalley

This story drew me in right away and I didn’t want to put it down. Avery’s adjustment to life on the ranch was frustrating for her but provided some comedic from that frustration. Add in the tension from the strained relationship between her and her family and it made for a perfectly balanced story. I loved getting to know Avery and Lucas as well as following along as she found where she fit in the world.

This was such a fun read!! I didn't love this author's debut but I'm so glad I gave her a second chance because this was great.

This is a fantastic story with so many elements I love in a romance:
- cowboy x pop star
- found family
- forbidden romance
- only one...horse
- Native representation
- self-discovery journey
- emotionally deep spice

The story was so well plotted and the characters so well developed. I am officially a Danica Nava fan and can't wait for more from her!

Yeah this was GREAT. The slow burn was done very well and I was completely hooked on rooting for these two to be together.

This was another great book from this author. watching Avery's journey of being canceled to feeling so down about her future and then connecting with roots she didn't even know existed and exploring what she really wants from her life, has me in my FEELINGS. this author continues to do a great job of having you feel every single feeling throughout the expanse of the book.

I appreciate the message of mistakes only define us if we don't learn and grow into better humans from it, Avery's journey was real and relateable at times. and we see the same sentiment with Lucas's life as well.

I loved their dynamic. the slow burn was done so well and you could just FEEL their desire and love for each other grow, as if it was dripping off the page

as the author makes note of at the end by saying she enjoys the Hannah Montana Movie the vibes were immaculate in that aspect, and overall just a GREAT read. highly recommend!

also I think its very cool that you can go on Spotify and listen to Avery Fox's song, that was such a fun aspect to this!!!