Love Is a War Song

by Danica Nava

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, 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 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?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Indigenous, Adult, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2025

About the author

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. The Truth According to Ember is her debut novel. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @danica_nava.

Reviews

[anh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cutesy romcom, and honestly, I’m just grateful it pulled me out of my reading slump! It has big Hannah Montana Movie energy: disgraced pop star returns to her roots, works on a ranch, reconnects with her culture, and inevitably falls for the brooding cowboy. It’s soft, light, a little ridiculous, and exactly what I needed.

The romance was cute and very standard romcom—predictable but charming. There’s a bit of enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and just enough emotional growth to make it land. That said, a lot of scenes were so over-the-top. It leans hard into the cheesiness, and some of the dialogue felt like a made-for-TV movie. The pop culture references were a bit much too—I tend to find those distracting, and there were more than a few here. Still, this book never pretended to be subtle, so I rolled with it.

What really made this worth reading was the Indigenous representation. Cowboy romances are everywhere in the romance world, but it’s incredibly rare to see them written by Indigenous authors about Indigenous characters. That’s what drew me to this book in the first place—and it absolutely delivered on that front.

The cultural elements aren’t tacked on or overly explained—they’re part of the fabric of the story. The ranch life, the family dynamics, the quiet process of reconnecting with identity—it all felt grounded and authentic. Books like this matter because they show Indigenous characters living full, ordinary, complex lives—not reduced to symbols or relegated to the past. There still aren’t nearly enough stories like this being published, especially in mainstream romance, and that’s a problem. Cowboy romances in particular often romanticise rural life without acknowledging the cultures that have always existed on that land. This book doesn’t do that—it centres those voices, and that makes a difference.

It’s not a perfect book. Some parts were clunky, and a few scenes made me cringe. But it has heart, it knows exactly what it’s trying to be, and it brings something to the genre that’s long overdue.

Thank you Hachette Australia for the ARC.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first you need to go watch the author’s music video for the FMC’s hit single. It is a BANGER!
The full track is also on Spotify & Apple music!

Avery is a pop star and former child actor, she makes a big mistake and the internet cancels her - she flees to her grandmother’s ranch in Oklahoma to escape the drama and connect with her roots - and may just fall in love (with a rugged cowboy) along the way.

This book made me FEEL things!

This story felt so real and relatable - the author does a phenomenal job at making you feel things; embarrassment, disappointment, heart-break, sorrow - I felt the full gambit of emotions while reading this! The amount of cringing and second-hand embarrassment I felt is reason enough to recommend this book.

What I love l most about this book is the overall message the author is giving us. People make mistakes, intent vs impact is sometimes nuanced - but intent never excuses. Our mistakes only define us if we don’t learn and grow from them. I loved watching our FMC, Avery grow!

What’s to love…
- SLOW BURN
- indigenous rep
- the author really makes you feel that second-hand embarrassment
- messy - in the best way possible
- the BANGER single by Avery Fox
- COWBOYS
- they get caught in a storm

What’s not to love…
- my biggest critique is the writing style/prose - it felt very basic and over explanatory. This is something i’d expect from a YA book, but for an adult novel I want the author to have a little more faith in the reader’s ability to infer things. Show me, rather than tell me the feelings the characters are having.
- along the same lines the dialogue often felt a little stiff and unnatural.

1🌶️ - There is only one explicit scene (Ch 22) - pretty mild and easy to skip if you prefer.

4.25⭐️| TikTok | IG |

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[summer⁎ ˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

july reread:

i LOVED THIS still so much the second time around. idk what it is about this book but i just fly through it so quickly!!!! such a heartwarming and sweet story and i love them so much!

original february review:

did i devour this in one day? yes i did.

I LOVED THIS!!!!! it truly felt like a disney movie (for adults) in the best way. if you love cowboys and the hannah montana movie you will love this!!!!

i was hooked from the beginning. avery has to go to a small town in OK called broken arrow to get away from the spotlight of her latest and most public scandal which outraged the populace. she is a native american pop star whose intentions were in the right place but whose delivery was harmful to her community. in the town of broken arrow she meets her grandmother for the first time and a small group of workers, including lucas, our hero.

i loved the stuff that she got into while on the horse ranch. when i say it played out like a movie it really did! i could imagine EVERYTHING going on. i loved how grumpy lucas was and how off put he was by avery, but within reason. the two clashed at every turn but it was never over the top or ridiculous. it felt so natural.

i thought their relationship progressed so nicely. god, lucas!!!!! i LOVE him so much. he really tested avery but she had no problem telling him off. when he started to care for her, it melted me. the black shoelace????? STOPPPP. i loved how avery stood up for him against his parents and his story was so heartbreaking and sad 🥲

avery is a child star/actor, whose mom is both her mother and manager. this leads to some points of conflict, of course, especially because her mother doesn't speak to her grandma. watching lottie come around to avery after spending time there was so beautiful. avery really learned to respect the life in broken arrow and embrace her heritage. lottie took no crap and i loved her energy!!!

i still absolutely loved this and it was a super quick read!!!!!

thank you berkley for the arc! releases july 22nd 💚

[naz]

I’m going to come back for this one, not in a mood for cowboy right now

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read. I wanted to like it more than that but for a solid 50% of this book I really struggled.

The first half was a chore to get through. Avery was such an annoying character, the writing style really wasn’t my favourite, and I wasn’t invested enough in her and Lucas‘ relationship to actually care.
Avery just constantly felt sorry for herself and always looked to blame someone else when things went wrong because she couldn’t possibly be the problem, that would be crazy. No self-reflection to be found with this one. I totally got why Lucas didn’t like her, because I didn’t either. She was kind of a dumbass who thought that everything revolved around her, and so immature. Like it’s kind of self-explanatory that you should close the gate to the horse pasture after you leave it?! That's just common sense, girl.
She also read more like a 16-year-old than however old she actually was with her immature behaviour and that’s a pet peeve of mine, so yeah I wasn’t a fan.

In the second half, the story got marginally better. Avery kind of toned it down, some might even call it character growth, though I personally wouldn’t go that far. I did kind of enjoy her and Lucas together, but overall this was just not really for me.

If you're interested in this one I think you should try it out and if you don’t find Avery as annoying as I did then you’ve probably found yourself a nice summer romance to read.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.


___
Starting my summer tbr ✨🤸‍♀️🌺

[Ali L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman whose level of fame I couldn’t quite get a grasp on (high-ish?) makes a miscalculation and gets canceled (happens to the best of us). She is then sent to her grandmother’s ranch to reconnect with her culture and oops damn she falls in love with a hot cranky guy. This book was extremely cute and breezy, although I am continually bewildered by how fictional characters never tell their overly-intrusive and boundary-ignoring parents to buzz off. There isn’t really a villain in this book aside from Avery’s own internal battle with her desires versus what’s expected of her, but there is a sexy basement. Are you a horse girl? You’re in for a good time. (I didn’t mean for that to sound weird.)

[Mai H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍦 🍓 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

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool concept and a cute story.

I would have loved this more if the usual dumb romcom barriers weren’t inserted so hamfistedly, but alas, that’s how romcoms work, I guess.
Avery was a great heroine and I loved her development and growth as she discovered herself and her heritage, but unfortunately Lucas was not as well developed and I needed more depth from him.
But I’m super happy to read a book with Native American characters written by a Native American author, those parts seemed so authentic and the cultural aspects were inserted so organically I loved them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc, my opinions are my own.


********************

So excited for this arc! I did not think I’d get it!

[Dab · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half was torture, but I soldiered on, and it was worth it, because I actually kinda liked the second half. (After Lucas had an unexpected — and rather miraculous — personality transplant.)

Avery is a pop star in trouble, Lucas is a grumpy cowboy. They’re an unlikely pair, but obviously — for some reason (probably because he’s “the most handsome man she’s ever seen”) — they get together.

I like grumpy-sunshine as much as the next girl, but under one condition: the grumpy hero cannot be mean to the heroine. Rude-people-to-lovers is my personal pet peeve, and Lucas was truly awful. The only thing he had going for him was his looks — and that’s not enough, sorry not sorry.

Lucas’s manners aside, it was a cute story that finally found its heart in the second half. I appreciated the own-voices representation and the author’s clear intent to challenge harmful Native stereotypes. I liked the small-town community and the found family vibe (except the grandma — she was problematic, but we’re not unpacking that today), and it made sense that a girl from Hollywood would fall for that.

The romance also picked up in the second half (when Lucas started acting less like a walking red flag and more like a book boyfriend), so all in all, I ended up not hating the book. Yaay!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

——-

Thanks NetGalley and Headline for the arc!

[hailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

someone play “you’ll always find your way back home” from the hannah montana movie

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh he knows the extended versions of LOTR are superior, considers her the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, and doesn’t think she’ll choose him??

danica nava continues to deliver messy romances with indigenous characters finding love and this one may just be my favorite!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review. full review to come

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO GOOD!!! Pop star x cowboy romance, but make it indigenous. Danica Nava knocked this one out of the park.

Love is a War Song follows Muscogee pop star Avery Fox who is being cancelled after a culturally insensitive magazine cover. Her mom & manager sends her to stay with her estranged grandmother until things die down. While there she begins to learn about her own heritage in a way she never has, while also falling for a hot ranch-hand named Lucas...

I loved everything about this. It's a smart, slow-burn romance with great characters and strong cultural commentary. It's also laugh-out-loud funny and truly swoon-worthy! I liked Nava's debut, but this was a home run for me and I'm excited to read more from her. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Juliana Carreri · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAVORITE ROMANCE OF THE YEAR
i loved so much. My inner child was healed with this one ( major Hannah montana and flicka vibes)

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Pop singer Avery Fox becomes a social pariah following a media campaign featuring her in a feather warbonnet to celebrate her Native American heritage. Now a public outcast, she escapes to her estranged grandmother’s ranch on a reservation in Oklahoma. Not only was Avery ill-prepared to work the lands in the brutal heat, she never expected to encounter an enemy in cowboy Lucas Iron Eyes, the man who runs the horse ranch, and puts his family, culture, and respect for nature above all else.

I can never resist a story of self-discovery, especially when it comes to cultural exploration and reconnecting with family, so this book was a no-brainer. Let me start by saying that Danica Nava’s writing is visceral— I felt the first-hand mortification Avery experiences post Rolling Stones cover. I could have crawled into a hole right alongside her. I loved the setting at the heart of the story and experiencing through our characters what it was like to work the rez. I also appreciated learning about Avery’s Native American culture alongside her. And Lucas, with his stony exterior but heart of gold, was the cowboy I didn’t know I needed. His character really shines throughout the story, as does Avery’s grandmother Lottie.

My only criticism is that the pacing felt uneven at times. The start of the story is strong and engaging (like I said, pure mortification coming off the pages). But something happens around the mid-way point where the plot slowed way down and I could feel myself disengaging from time to time. I did read this book via my ears, so this may in fact be more a reflection of the narration and slow audiobook speed versus the writing style. Either way, I would recommend checking this book out if you have had it on your radar or are a fan of these tropes and themes listed.

Read if you like:
▪️cowboy x pop star romance
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️forced proximity
▪️journeys of self-discovery
▪️found family
▪️indigenous rep

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the advanced copies.

[Antonella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointed....this felt more like YA than adult romance, with main characters who never acted older than teenagers. The premise had potential: a pop star meets grumpy cowboy!!! but the execution fell flat. The romance lacked depth, the plot felt predictable, and I kept waiting for something more meaningful that never came.
Definitely expected better.

🎶“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
🎶“Love Story” – Taylor Swift

[Estefania · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is for the Hannah Montana the movie girlies

[nitya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing and heartwarming read

I enjoyed the author's debut - The Truth According to Ember - and was super hyped to read this! The tropes were perfect; celebrity x cowboy, forced proximity and learning family history?? Sign me up!

I am not Native (though I am Indian, heh) so I will not comment on the representation. I did appreciate the author's note at the end about community and belonging, it's so vital.

Also, it is amazing that the song can be listened/streamed (I think the author sang it)!

Content warning: toxic parents, racism, addiction, loss of family members, sexual content

[Kat | katreadsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a minute to get into this one because I couldn't figure out the vibes of our two MC's. But once things started flowing I was caught up! Lucas was so sweet and protective and Avery was so delightful and kind. I do wish we got to dive deeper into things: her background, her relationship with her mom/grandma etc. And the ending felt a bit rushed too. But other than that, this was so cute and I love the representation we got!

💜 full reviews on my YouTube Channel 💜

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

3.75/5⭐️

[Anna (annasbookstacks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

happy release day to my loves!!!

hello I didn’t expect to cry!!! this was absolutely everything!! fast paced, entertaining, romantic, and so sweet. the representation was beautiful and I loved every single character!! truly the Hannah Montana movie vibes of my dreams & the cowboy romance of the summer!! I seriously couldn’t put this book down, I loved it so much. the writing was fun, the plot was entertaining, and the romance was too freaking sweet. I loved the pacing of it!! the family dynamics pulled at my heartstrings and I loved how it all wrapped up. ugh I’m sad I finished this so quickly!!

[Clare Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t convince me that this isn’t the most romantic book ever written okay, you just can’t

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love is a War Song is a new cowboy romance release from Danica Nava. I really enjoyed this one!

Avery Fox is a famous Muscogee pop star and Lucas Iron Eyes is a cowboy working for her grandmother’s ranch. Avery does a cover for Rolling Stone which ends up being controversial and gets her canceled. To save her career, her label and her mom thinks it’s best if she gets out of public eye for a while. When she starts getting a lot of hate mail and death threats, she is sent off to her estranged grandmother’s ranch in Oklahoma. That is where she runs into Lucas, who has been running the ranch for years.

This was my second read from this author and this book I enjoyed a lot more. I will say Avery is a harder character to like at first, definitely on purpose, but she grows and it’s nice seeing her character development. We get a little glimpse of her pretending to be his girlfriend for a dinner with his parents (that she kinda invites herself to) and it was sweet seeing her be protective and sticking up for him. Avery wants to feel connected with her family, their past, her heritage. There is a lot of commentary about what it is being Native American today, from those in the community and on the outside. I do think the couple in this book read a bit young for the age they are, but all in all a super solid one that I had fun with!

CW: loss of family members, addiction

[kaz ruby 𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ugh this author literally writes the funniest, yet romantic, books and i literally need the next one IMMEDIATELY. i laughed, i cried, i cringed - this book had me feeling all the feelings.

I loved how REAL this book was. The enemies to lovers was done so well, it was very obvious in the beginning that Lucas REALLY didn’t like Avery, and I loved seeing how he slowly warmed to her. Their chemistry was AMAZING, i wish i had a Lucas in my life :))

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was everything I hoped it would be. I love when characters who don’t really know their culture discover what it is and fall in love with who they are. This was grumpy sunshine bliss and I just loved it all. My heart fluttered when Mississippi Choctaws were mentioned. The love story was equally as beautiful as learning about the culture and family that the heroine was kept from her whole life. Well done!!👏🏽

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me cowboys and give me a city girl getting swept off her feet and I’m so there.

I was so excited for Danica’s cowboy era and I felt like the pop star twist was such a fun addition. The individual journey Avery went on was really powerful. I believed in her and wanted her to grow and find her place so bad. I loved watching her connect with her family and her roots.

However. I’m not down for a mean male main character. I love a grumpy lead but Lucas really felt more mean (especially!!! early on) that it made it hard for me to fall for him. And subsequently believing in their romance.

The grand gesture at the end was so cute. I just wish we had more emotional and relational development because it felt like they went from hating each other to making out real fast.

Thank you berkley romance for the arc!

actual rating 3.5.

[Flor Montiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit I loved this so much. Danica Nava, you fucking killed it.

[Book Riot Community]

The Best New Books of August in Every Genre:

After the success The Truth According to Ember, fans have been eager to read Danica Nava’s next romance. And now you can! Pop star Avery Fox caused a stir posing for a Rolling Stone cover wearing a feather warbonnet. She is Muscogee, but has been ridiculed by the public, so she’s staying with her estranged grandmother on a ranch for a while. There she meets Lucas Iron Eyes. The two strike up a deal where she helps fundraise for the ranch in exchange for more insight into her and Lucas’s shared heritage and culture. If you liked that Nava allowed her characters to be messy in her debut, you’ll love this book, too. —Isabelle Popp

[Alex (novelswithalex) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me an ARC of this book for review.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to my expectations especially after how much I loved Nava’s first book The Truth According To Ember. It just felt like the goofiness was turned up to a level that I just could not deal with. It was a matter of taste, for me. The main character, Avery, was just too bumbling and so painfully embarrassing to witness. It went from fun to second hand embarrassment very quickly. Along with some of the slightly ridiculous family dynamics that felt almost like caricatures of dysfunctionality, this book unfortunately left little room to be redeemed. However, I did thoroughly enjoy the way Avery connected back to her Muskogee roots and I also really loved her love interest, Lucas. It was so nice, as an indigenous woman (though I’m Chumash and not Muskogee) to see this kind of story depicted through the lens of a romcom. You don’t get to see many Indigenous romcoms out there, but I’d love to see more from many different authors depicting an array of experience. It’s uncomfortable for me to be fair and critical when I feel like I’m knocking down one of the very VERY few examples of representation we have in romance, let alone literature as a whole. I wish I could have loved this book, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. Hopefully it will work for other readers.

[Cydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner

When I think of "cowboys," even despite the current western (white) takeover, I tend to think of Native American men and Black men as the classic cowboys. However, I've never read a book with a Black cowboy, and I definitely haven't read one about a Native American cowboy. Until now. Love Is a War Song was incredibly easy to read, and I loved how much I learned from it.

Danica Nava's prose is cheeky and boldly proud to be Native American (even when one makes a misguided mistake), filled with lots of pop culture references and a female main character who feels very much like the brand of artist/influencer people rally behind nowadays. At times, Avery was bratty, but most times she comes across very thoughtful and generous. Lucas was sweet, solid, and absolutely dreamy.

I feel like the core message is locked onto how important community is, and how important it is for you to know where you come from, especially when the world has attempted to erase the existence of your people, culture, and customs from history. For that reason, parts of this book reminded me of "The Thing About Home" by Rhonda McKnight. I also feel like there is an important message about how keeping family secrets only leads to perpetuating the things you're running from. The topic of cancel culture—and the nonexistence of it, because no one is ever truly canceled—was aptly handled, especially with the recycled conversations about cancel culture that only pop up when accountability is demanded from someone who caused harm.

I didn't care for the veneer scene at all, and it went on far too long for me to find it adorable. I think the pacing somewhat moderately chugged along and then rapidly sped up and ended in the last 20% or so, which was jarring because things had just started becoming stable between Avery and Lucas—I wish there had been more romance between them honestly. While I am not someone who shies away from reading books with a lot of references to celebrities, I will continue to say I hate when books mention Elon Musk/Tesla. A character also claims Carrie Underwood is Native American? I couldn't find anything that proves that online—but that's two too many bigots for me in one book.

3 ⭐️s
1.5 🌶️

[Hillary (abookishmarriage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so CUTEEEEEE