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Book Summary and Reviews of Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava

Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava

Love Is a War Song

by Danica Nava

  • Critics' Consensus (8):
  • Published:
  • Jul 2025, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A Muscogee pop star and a cowboy who couldn't be more different come together to strike a deal in this new romantic comedy by Danica Nava, USA Today bestselling author of The Truth According to Ember.

Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah and dubbed her a fake. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie's ranch in Oklahoma. Living on the rez is new to Avery—not only does she have to work in the blazing summer heat to earn her keep, but the man who runs Lottie's horse ranch despises her and wants her gone.

Red Fox Ranch has been home to Lucas Iron Eyes since he was sixteen years old. He has lived by three rules to keep himself out of trouble: 1) preserve the culture, 2) respect the horses, and 3) stick to himself. When he is tasked with picking up Lottie's granddaughter at the bus station, the last person he expected to see is the Avery Fox. Lucas can't stand what she represents, but when he's forced to work with her on the ranch, he can't get her out of his sight—or his head. He reminds himself to keep to his rules, especially after he finds out the ranch is under threat of being shut down.

It's clear Avery doesn't belong here, but they form a tentative truce and make a deal: Avery will help raise funds to save the ranch, and in exchange, Lucas will show her what it really means to be an Indian. It's purely transactional, absolutely no horsing around…but where's the fun in that?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Avery's fish-out-of-water story leads to plenty of classic rom-com hijinks as she learns to ride a horse, play stickball, and adjust to life on the ranch. Nava balances these lighter moments with depth as Avery learns more about her grandmother and what it means to be Muscogee. A charming rom-com about finding your place and knowing who you are." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"This grumpy-sunshine romance is set in a wonderfully scenic small town and offers plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, balanced with tender scenes, and rounded out with a lovable cast of characters. Readers will fall hard for Nava's steamy rom-com, brimming with themes of family, community, and belonging." —Library Journal (starred review)

"Nava approaches her protagonists' differing relationships to their shared culture with empathy and skill and has a talent for making even the prickliest characters, like Avery's mother, redeemable. The result is a nuanced and entertaining rom-com with plenty of heart." —Publishers Weekly

"This delightful slow burn romance shows why second chances are worthwhile." —Booklist

"Artfully crafted and bursting with tension, Avery and Lucas' story hits every beat with intention and ease. Nava delivers a sharp, funny, and deliciously slow-burning romance about two people learning to carve out their own space in the world. Love is a War Song is the book of the summer!" —Lyla Sage, New York Times bestselling author of Swift and Saddled

"A swoony love story that deftly explores identity, redemption, and the complexities of cancel culture. Danica Nava's sophomore novel is as thought provoking as it is funny and heart melting. It's a must read for all romance book lovers." —Hannah Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Daydream

"I devoured this within hours. I absolutely loved every page and how Avery overcame her struggles. My kingdom for Lucas. He was the most swoony MMC. The ending was so emotional and I was holding back tears. Sweet and sexy in the perfect package." —Nisha J Tuli, international bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen and Not Safe for Work

This information about Love Is a War Song was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Danica Nava

Danica Nava is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and works as an executive assistant in the tech industry. She has her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter.

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