Overall, Lovely War has a heart-wrenching and beautifully written prose that elevated my reading experience. It was hard for me to read about the life in the trenches and the ever-present racism during that time.

The writing style is vivid and realistic. It made me connect to the characters, understand their yearning for their beloved, and sincerely hope for them to be happy.Īside from effectively showing the romance between the characters, Julie Berry also managed to depict the horrors of war. I absolutely love how she manages to capture the raw emotion of being in love. There’s just something about Julie Berry’s description that sets this romance story apart from the rest. And I’ve read countless romance novels that describe the feeling of being in love with a person. I love the way she described the romantic feelings of the main characters in a unique way!Įveryone’s familiar with first loves (racing of hearts, butterflies in the stomach, secretive glances and longing stares). It’s clear which god is narrating the stories of the main characters because their voices are so distinct.īut Julie Berry’s excellent writing style stand out the most through the main plot of the two couples. The subplot of the Greek gods were hilarious and witty. I love the way Julie Berry wrote a story within a story. But since they are merely telling the main story of two couples, the book is mostly in third-person POV. Lovely War is written in multiple first-person POVs of Greek gods. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love. Thirty years after these four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. But that’s before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who’s already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans. A gifted musician who’s played Carnegie Hall, he’s a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War.

When they fall in love, it’s immediate and deep–and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.Īubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. She’s a shy and talented pianist he’s a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. ( From Goodreads) It’s 1917, and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. Date Published: May 30th 2017 by Greenwillow BooksĬontent Warning: War, Murder, Hate Crime/Racism, PTSD

Lovely war