Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted e-arc!

I enjoyed this grumpy sunshine cowboy romance! Avery is a rising pop star but makes a huge mistake on the cover of Rolling Stone and then is dragged for the song choice/lyrics and wardrobe for her new video. She inadvertently offends the indigenous community, is accused of perceived cultural appropriation and ultimately canceled. Due to the huge backlash, her mother sends her away to her hometown while things(hopefully) die down and she can help salvage her career!

Avery experiences an extreme culture shock as this big city girl is thrusted into small town country living at her grandmothers Oklahoma ranch. She meets Lucas, a grumpy ranch hand, who makes it clear that he doesn’t like her. I enjoyed watching these two go from dislike to friends and ultimately lovers! Keep in mind…this is a slooow burn 😉 I absolutely love love loved Lucas! His character had so much depth to him.

I was so proud of Avery as we watched her dive into the culture, develop friendships, meet family, learn new skills and the value of community. I felt the author did a great job with developing her character and it was great to see her growth throughout the book. I was so excited when she finally stood up for what she wanted for her life.

It was heartwarming to see her discover and connect with her Muscogee heritage. Despite her mistake, I felt they were pretty open and welcoming to her. For the first time in her life, she was able to discover what family is. I absolutely enjoyed the small town, close knit family that they had. Lottie’s character was a hoot!

Spice level: 🌶️ there is only 1-2 explicit scenes

Perfect for fans of:

✨Grumpy sunshine
✨Cowboy romances
✨Small town
✨Found family/close knit family
✨Country living
✨SLOW BURNS
✨Indigenous representation

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars
Love is a War Song by Danica Nava

The second I heard Danica Nava was releasing a cowboy romance, I knew this one was for me—and it did not disappoint. It’s the perfect summer read: emotional, fun, and full of heart (with just the right amount of slow-burn tension).

Danica has such a gift for balancing deep feelings with light, engaging storytelling, and this one gave me total Hannah Montana: The Movie vibes in the best way. Small town, music, romance, and just enough drama to keep you hooked.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 🤠💕

One of my favorite books of 2025, Danica Nava wove an epic romance in Love is a War Song! Pop singer Avery Fox was always told she was Native American, but after a series of decisions leading to calls for her to be canceled, she's sent to live with her estranged grandmother, Lottie, to escape the heat - and the paparazzi. Lucas Iron Eyes manages Lottie's Red Fox Ranch, and it's home to him. Respecting the horses, the land, and their way of life is important, and Avery seems to represent everything he despises. But Avery is determined to learn about who she is, without the push to work, work, work from her mom-ager, and the ranch - and Lucas - soon start to feel like home.
This is Danica's second book, and as much as I loved her first one, this one shines even brighter. It's a book for everyone who felt like they were a little lost, and needed to find home. Home is sometimes a place, and sometimes a person - and when you're the luckiest, it's both. Avery and Lucas' romance was enemies to lovers light, a bit of the forbidden, and a slowwwww burn. There's also so much fun and comedy in Love is a War Song. It's truly a star of a book and I highly recommend it!
Note: Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free copy of the book, receipt of which did not impact my review.

3.5 stars

The importance of community and culture is what makes Love is a War Song stand out from similar romances with the same grumpy/sunshine trope. A famous singer is new to a small town, and the author offers Indigenous representation on cancel culture. Your mistakes don’t define you. It’s what you learn and how you move forward. With help from supporting characters, she makes her way through self-discovery.

Sometimes I need a palate cleanser to reset me before reading my next book. And I usually pick a Romance or Healing Fiction to get the job done. This book did that. It was a quick read. Low spice level, but high in yearning. At times the FMC felt over-the-top, but the levity and ease of banter made me easily forget.

It would be a good pick for a light beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a gifted e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: 7/22/25

Love is a War Song is a thoughtful exploration of one woman’s exploration of her heritage. After somewhat thoughtlessly using stereotypes of her culture to get attention on the national stage, Avery goes “home” to Oklahoma to learn what it means to be an Indian. She is incredibly relatable, and I enjoyed the majority of characters aside from her mother- but that’s pretty clearly how the author wants it. Readers will definitely become immersed in her family’s small town and the people in it while reading. I liked this one and look forward to more from the author! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

wow, wow, WOW!!!! I am so incredibly in love with this story!!! not only is it filled with so much love, tenderness, and passionate romance, but the familial elements— found family & culture, community support like no other, true purpose in identity & self— we’re next level, top tier amazing!

my heart just broke completely and healed all over for Avery reading this story. she so beautifully clings to her familial heritage, wanting to do anything to feel like she belongs and is accepted. the way she ultimately finds her peace within herself and her family has me bawling my eyes out, wholly overjoyed. the whole cast of characters holds such beautiful, strong resilience to what’s their’s, it was so special to read how they showed Avery that true belonging resides in community, not in labels.

and my guy Lucas, oh how I adored his grumpy exterior, softie heart, strong-willed faith in his people. he loves his people so much, willing to do anything to keep them protected and happy, I just loved and adored the way he eventually took Avery under his wing to show her their Native culture, and ultimately falling into the most tender, strong, and loving relationship.

this story is so incredibly beautiful, it’s filled to the brim with so much heart and strength and vulnerability. I laughed and cried my way through this whole book.

an absolute masterpiece of a romance, and a brilliant illustration of how diverse romance stories truly make our world a better place.

thank you so much for the ARC!

will be posted on my instagram and tiktok on Monday, July 21.

Author mentioned The Hannah Montana movie in her notes and I can definitely see the influence of that in this book! I did enjoy this, but the hostility toward Avery at the beginning from literally everyone (including her mother who literally greenlit everything people were mad at Avery about) was kind of intense and I felt bad for her. Yes, she was painfully naive, but that doesn't excuse people who are supposed to be your family to treat you with such- it almost felt like disdain. And there wasn't ever really any kind of apology or growth from those characters.

Avery, on the other hand, showed huge growth and I enjoyed seeing her realize who she wants to be, not who everyone else wanted her to be.

Thank you to the publisher for the free book!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Avery Fox is a Native American pop star who gets canceled for an offensive magazine cover and heads to Oklahoma to get to know her estranged family, her culture, and Lucas, the attractive ranch hand she can’t seem to stay away from.

This was generally a really cute and fun cowboy/pop star romance! I loved the representation and I just really want the industry to keep giving us Native American/indigenous books from Native voices, because there are so many stories to be told.

I did have to suspend disbelief for a LOT of this plot and random mostly minor factual inaccuracies abounded (especially horse related ones). I don’t take off stars for that specifically, but I did find it frustrating, as it was at a level that pulled me out of the story a few times. There was also both a Carrie Underwood reference and a Garth Brooks reference and while I get that this is set in Oklahoma, I think those references in the year 2025 is…a choice.

All of that said, I thought Lucas was a great MMC, and I had a really fun time overall! On the whole, I definitely think this one is worth the read!

CW: Mild racism/bigotry/sexism; cultural appropriation

OMG! Danica Nava really knows how to write a joyful, moving, and sweet contemporary romance novel. Her voice and writing style are clear, earnest, entertaining, commercially appealing, and so funny (She really is a comedian as well)! LOL.
Avery Fox, our main character, is a musician and pop star who has to reckon with the consequences of a professional decision that most of her Native community considers a misstep and misrepresentation of their Native culture.
She gets the opportunity to take a break from fame, the vitriol, and negative aspects of cancel culture and reconnect with her Muscogee roots at her estranged maternal grandmother’s horse ranch in Broken Arrow, OK (Muscogee Nation Land).
As soon as she steps foot in Broken Arrow, she is greeted by a surly, brooding, and extremely handsome cowboy named Lucas (and so it begins) who is not her biggest fan (yet)!
Not only is Love Is a War Song a (slow burn) love story between Avery and Lucas, but it is also an exploration and meditation on Native/Indigenous identity, self-love, and the messy and heartbreaking reality of dysfunctional family dynamics.
I love when I get to read the Author’s Note at the end of novels! In Nava’s Author’s Note to Readers, she mentions that this book is an homage to Hannah Montana, cowboy/popstar romcoms, and the beauty and importance of Indigenous and Native representation on the page. She has become one of my auto-read and auto-buy authors! I’m so excited about all future and upcoming books (and movie/television adaptations?!) by her!

A must read cowboy summer romance!! The banter, the storyline, the culture, the yearning 🧡 I completely agree with many reviews that the book has Hannah Montana the movie vibes and as a millennial I love that! I have been now listening to the soundtrack on repeat 😅 There was a lot of talk about Native American culture and community. Lucas teaches Avery what it is to be Native American. The grumpy sunshine vibes were great. Danica’s descriptive writing made it so easy to picture the ranch and the settings. I also appreciated the dyslexic rep and the discussions on cultural appropriation. The romance you guys!! These two were down bad for each other and it was so sweet 🥹 I loved how they were there for each other. There were many laughs too. All around a great romance read and I highly suggest picking it up this summer 🫶🏼

Thank you so much to Berkley and specifically Ariana for reaching out with an earc!!

It’s no secret that I absolutely adored Danica Navas debut novel, The Truth According to Ember and Love is a War Song equally embodies the romcom genre while tackling important issues and damaging stereotypes that have plagued mainstream media for decades regarding Native American culture.

This book was fantastic, the fish-out-of-water popstar sent to a ranch where she has no idea what she’s doing is a plot that I will always adore. (Shoutout to Hannah Montana which definitely started my love of it!)

Avery was extremely relatable and I think also a very prevalent character that really showcased issues that can open up conversation. Avery gets canceled (and really what does that actually mean?) she struggles with being told she’s not Native enough by the general public and essentially gets torn to shreds by the media. She experiences backlash that she’s never experienced before and because of it has no choice but to flee to Oklahoma where she moves in with her grandmother Lottie (I loveee her grandmother, she was a baddie!!)

Avery has never lived on a reservation before, let alone a ranch and struggles to find her footing and identity. While there, she meets Lucas (I’m his #1 fan!!) a ranch hand that has worked with her grandmother since sixteen. He has a dream of opening up a horse ranch that is dedicated to helping kids and young adults work through trauma and heal by taking care of horses and providing one-on-one mentorship. (A ranch like this really does exist in Oklahoma, it’s called Tulsa Hills Youth Ranch and Danica visited the ranch herself while working on this book!)
A lot of themes are explored in this book, but for me I left this book with a very warm heart. At the end of the day, Avery is a human. She’s looking for a community, connection and belonging and this book truly fulfilled that for her.

I grew up south of Tucson Arizona where I was surrounded since a young age by Native American culture and being able to read a romance novel that really gets to explore and represent a group that is so deeply underrepresented in mainstream media makes me so happy. I truly believe that Danica Nava is paving the way for more Native stories to be published-especially romance ones since historically the western romance genre has perpetuated harmful stereotypes of Native culture and I really am so glad these stories are able to be told and exposed to people who otherwise wouldn’t have been.

I have to say the first quarter of the book was HARD to get through. Mostly have to do with our main characters. I found our FMC Avery, quite annoying, though she ended up having a decent character arc. At first I was also not a huge fan of our mmc, Lucas. He was rather rude but then all of a sudden flipped a switch and started being sweet. Though I also have to say in the first few chapter the online slang was extremely cringey. But like I said with the MCs the online cringey slang let up. I did enjoy the storyline, it’s just the characters that annoyed me for part of the story. Also forgot to add that our FMC has ✨veneers✨ 👀
I would still recommend this book. Specifically to those who don’t get as cringed out as I do.

Like I said above, the actual story was interesting. Avery our fmc is a famous musician. She is Native American, though doesn’t know much about her culture. So when she is dressed in an inaccurate and offensive Native American outfit, she gets bashed and canceled, for her honest mistake. She is getting so much hate, and many death threats that her mother, who is also her manager, sends her to her grandmother, who she’s never met. Her grandmother lives in a small town in Oklahoma where nobody should know her. When she gets there her grandmother had sent one of her stable hands, Lucas to pick her up. Lucas and Avery immediately get off on the wrong foot. Now she’s set to stay there and be put to work on the farm right alongside him.

Arc received from Netgalley for an honest review

3.5 Stars

Love is a War Song is a book following Ember, a famous singer who goes to her grandmothers ranch to get away from the city after a controversial decision was made. Now, working on the ranch, she not only discovers a bit about herself, but also romance and her own identity.

When Lucas picks Ember up from the station, the tension between the two of them could be felt off the page. I was rooting for them from the start, even if Lucas may have denied the fact that his frustration toward Ember may have stemmed from something deeper. The romance between these two was instant, even if Lucas acted as if it were the opposite.

The first half of this book took me a little time to get into. Ember goes from the city to the ranch, and there was some build up before we finally get to see more of that family dynamic and romance with Lucas. It was definitely worth the wait though, because the second half of the book is where I was smiling and kicking my feet. Ember and Lucas build a relationship steadily throughout this novel, and the payoff was worth it at the end.

I still believe the pacing could have been a tad better in regards to the romance, but considering everything else that was being balanced, I can understand why it was written the way it was. The romance isn't the only subject in this book, and another aspect I loved was Ember learning more about her family history and culture.
The ending was beautiful, I think it was the most impactful and important part of the whole book to me. Ember as a character grows and learns so much throughout this novel, and it was a joy to be there alongside her through it.

DANICA does NOT MISS. She is so freaking funny, and this book is a true representation of that. I adored Avery and Lucas and everything about this book.

It was very The Hannah Montana Movie meets Indigenous culture. I cannot express enough how good this book is. I have four preorders because I want so many people to read it!

This is a grumpyXsunshine book full of hilarious antics and the best kind of tension!

I really, really enjoyed this one!! A cowboy x pop star indigenous romance where the pop star goes back to her roots to escape scandal.

The tension and the romance was so cute. Lucas was skeptical of Avery, but got to know her and was there for her making it the perfect dislike to lovers with forced proximity. The characters definitely had growth! This was romcom vibes, but it was the perfect amount of cheesiness.

Seeing Avery reconnect with her roots and the found family aspect was sweet. I loved seeing her growing into herself and the supporting side characters!

3.5 stars - This was a beautiful story of discovery, community, and identity. I enjoyed the overall premise of the book, the romance was sweet, and it was a quick read. That said, some of the banter and dialogue was a bit clunky and some of the relationships felt very surface level. I was hoping for a deeper connection between Avery and Lottie and for her to really understand and come to appreciate her culture, but it never really happened. Some of the plot points were a bit chaotic and all over the place as well.

Even with that, I did genuinely enjoy this story and was happy to have read this. Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC - all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this! It’s a Native cowboy/celebrity romance between Avery, a former child star trying to break out as a pop star, and Lukas, a cowboy working on her Grandmother’s ranch where she is sent to lay low after being “cancelled” for being culturally insensitive.

She doesn’t know her grandmother at all, and I really enjoyed their journey to getting to understand each other better. I also enjoyed Avery learning about her roots and Native culture. She was tough for me to root for at the beginning (very spoiled, very princessy) but she did at least learn and grow throughout the story which I appreciated. I did want to fist fight her mother, but that’s okay.

The story is pretty light and easy reading, I actually would have preferred if it would have dug a little deeper into her family’s troubles and trauma, but it stays pretty surface level which is perfect if you are not a reader who lights a lot of drama like me.

Overall a fun read and I really enjoyed learning more about Native culture along with Avery!

🍦 🍓 The Ripped Bodice's 9th Annual Summer Romance Bingo 🕶️ 🏄🏼

/ Animal With A Job

I loved THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER, and not just because it was the first traditionally published indigenous romance written by an indigenous woman. I mean, maybe that helped.

There are so many cowboy romances. Most are white.

So I immediately loved the premise that pop star Avery almost got canceled for posing for Rolling Stone in a warbonnet. Even if white people did it first. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying it.

She is sent to her estranged grandmother's in Oklahoma. She knows nothing about being Muscogee, and learns a lot of it from Lucas Iron Eyes, who I don't find as hot as Danowa, but he's still hot, dw.

There's a lot of family drama, and some of it gets resolved. Some things are a little hard to believe, but this is fiction, and I'm willing to let those slide to get the representation we need out into the world.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley

If you were stressfully ravaged by the messiness in The Truth According to Ember, then you’ll be pleased to know that Love Is A War Song is a swift turnaround from Danica Nava’s debut. Told through the perspective of Avery Fox, the story unfolds as you follow her missteps and bumbles after a magazine cover photo draws harsh critique, to her growth and determination to reconnect with her family and better understand her Muscogee community and heritage. Avery is a little gullible, a little naive, and a little too used to having things handled for her. In this sense, you see her quickly learn from mistakes and face challenges head on, but with care. It helps to have a gruff and wary cowboy like Lucas Iron Eyes to help too. If you like fish out of water trope, this book plays on it really well. It’s funny but not too slapstick or over the top.

The heart of the story is an exploration of community, in all the ways that the residents of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma look out for and care for one another, and family ties, in finding what it means to have people stand by you in both good and bad times. Towards the end, Avery is trying to make the right decisions—wanting to get her music career back on track but wanting to honor her commitment to saving her grandmother’s ranch. This also means coming to terms with the thorny duality of her relationship with her mother, who of course is also her manager. All of this conflict happens in the final 15% of the book, and while it feels a little rushed, I think that’s intentionally done to cultivate a sense of urgency.

There were some aspects I struggled with. I found the writing to be a little choppy at times, with short somewhat repetitive sentences. And while I love a good DANGER BANG scene, I no longer love rapid fire, heat of the moment, declarations of “I’m clean” and “I’m on birth control” right before raw dogging it in a cellar. IDK man, there are plenty of other sexy alternatives that don’t involve penetrative sex.

I loved this one!!

As a huge fan of the Hannah Montana movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this!! Danica brought the best small town, yeehaw vibes to this romance with a new and fresh take that made me wanting more.

I was constantly laughing at Danica's witty dialogue and I couldn't help but root for Avery the entire time. I really liked getting to see her character arc and I loved how Lucas changed her life for the better.

I love getting to read cultures other than my own and the whole community within this book felt like a warm hug.

BRB going back to watch the Hannah Montana movie again after reading this.

Thank you Danica Nava and Berkley Romance for this eARC in exchange for. my honest review.