Book Review: Lovely War by Julie Berry

 Title: Lovely War

Author: Julie Berry

Serie/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 480

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"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. She's a shy and talented pianist; he's a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it's immediate and deep-- and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.

Aubrey Edwards is also headed towards the trenches. 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. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that's before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who's already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.

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. 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."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book lived up to all the hype I had heard about it from the book community. This isn't a typical war book, the author really went to the next level by bringing in the views of the gods into the violence, and heartbreak of World War I. I was drawn to the romance between the characters throughout the novel, and the tragedy that at some points kept them separate. The characters are astounding and easy to love, but again the real characters that captured my attention during the audiobook were the Greek gods, the different writing from their P.O.V really brought the story to life. I found that the end of the book was a bit anti-climactic, but was still able to enjoy my time reading it all the same. The author's writing is well throughout and based on the author's note at the end of the book well researched. I would recommend for fans of historical fiction and romance. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny