Background
Published in 2019, Lovely War by Julie Berry intertwines the stories of four young people during World War I, as narrated by the Greek gods Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, and Hades. The novel follows Hazel, a British pianist, and James, a soldier, whose budding romance is tested by the brutality of the front lines. Alongside them are Aubrey, a Black American soldier and jazz musician, and Colette, a Belgian singer who has lost her family to German attacks.
My Thoughts
This was another book my wife was reading and she suggested to me. I didn’t have high hopes as I’m not too big on romance novels. However, this one was surprisingly good. There wasn’t any “steamy” scenes or over the top moments, which have come to be tropes of the genre.
The choice of having the Greek Gods tell the story was a fun take on the traditional narrative. It also gave a fun counterpoint to the “mortal” plot while finally culminating in a nicely wrapped ending.
Recommendation
I would recommend this one.