Lovely War by Julie Berry is a romance and historical fiction novel that follows the lives of four individuals during World War I, told from the perspective of Aphrodite (goddess of passion and love). Hazel, James, Colette, and Aubrey’s paths cross by mere circumstance, and with Aphrodite’s help, beautiful relationships are formed. As time passes, the perils of war threaten to interfere with the romances and friendships. Will the power of love be enough to salvage the fates of these individuals, or will the war be the demise of their relationship?
Although I am typically not a huge fan of romance, I enjoyed this novel! I especially admired Berry’s integration of Greek mythology into the plot; for me, this added depth. I fell in love with each of the four main characters and their personalities almost immediately upon being introduced to them, which made me become very attached to the relationships that Berry developed throughout the novel. The plot was so intense, that I found it hard to set the book down, and was constantly curious about the triumphs and/or tragedies that the next chapter would hold.
Even better, the cover of the novel is intriguing and a perfect representation of the novel itself. The color scheme and the images chosen are very fitting for the concepts of love and war found within the novel’s pages. Overall, I would give Lovely War five stars, because it was such a captivating and fascinating read. I would recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys romance, or anyone who is interested in Greek mythology or World War I.