Lovely War

This book is very well crafted and very clever. It deals with really tough issues and there were some really hard-to-read scenes. Overall, it is two love stories told from the perspectives of Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, and Hades as they intersected the story. The characters were well-written and grew throughout the story. It is a story about love and what it means to love someone vs what we think love to be. This isn't a comfort read, but it is a good one.

Romance isn't the usual genre I read, and the main characters making it to the end fairly unscathed was pretty predictable. It's a fluffy historical fiction that does the job I was hoping for it to do. It does also insert a little commentary on the treatment of Black soldiers/people and I found it quite natural within the plot and refreshing since I haven't read a historical fiction touching upon this topic. For the research, writing, and bibliography I have to give it to Julie Berry- her style satisfied what I was looking for- just a plain and simple feel good historical fic. I do appreciate the research and thoughtful ties to real historical figures of music. There is some lack of depth for what I hoped for with the Gods being intermingled, and a little bit with the characters who I did find, were still a little basic, regardless -the combo of this neat concept and warm writing style kept me engaged enough to finish it!

I loved, loved, loved this audiobook! The three separate threads of the story and the different POVs made it seem just as complex as life. The narrators were fabulous, Aphrodite's voice sounds as that of a gorgeous voluptuous woman, Ares's seemed exactly like that of a bellicose man. The musical interludes made this story whole.

DNF at 50%

This book had so much potential, but, man was it boring! I didn't care about a single character, even the Gods.

But it's got great reviews, so what do I know? Ha ha

I could never do this book justice with my limited vocabulary. The pure and beautiful romance and the heart tugging longing this book portrays are so complex and wonderfully executed that my excuse of a review will never encapsulate it all.

This novel is literally a lovely story about war as ghoulish and paradoxical as that may sound. A lovely story about love, friendship and MUSIC!! I just love all the musical references and how passionate our characters were about this form of art <3

Speaking of characters, THEY ARE ALL SO ENDEARING AND THEY MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS!! I love how the two couples came to know each other, i could clearly see the red string of fate pulling them closer! The romance was so adorable and swoon worthy, i mean the sneaky rendezvous in the piano room at midnight, the classical concert dates, PARIS CAFÉ DATES!!!! I was screaming and kicking my feet in the air whenever i reached one of these scenes

Short chapters make the book fly. If I ever decide to write a book - you know how long the chapters will be.

The novel was lovely. Quite a turn with the gods, I liked it. However, maybe because we are looking down on the characters, I felt somewhat disconnected from them. Still a good, steady book.

Aphrodite and Ares are trapped...and Aphrodite's husband Hephaestus is to blame. Stuck in a golden net they cannot escape, Aphrodite asks Hephaestus to allow her to plead her case as to why she is having an affair with Ares. Against his better judgment, Hephaestus agrees. And so begins a tale...of love, war, devastation, friendships and HOPE.

As the story is told, Aphrodite calls witnesses to her tale and so Apollo and Hades make an appearance on her behalf. Why exactly is the love story between James and Hazel so important? How does the love between Aubrey and Collette prove Aphrodite's work is meaningful? Can she prove, through their stories, that she isn't some flighty floozy? Is there some deeper meaning behind why Aphrodite is even having an affair?

OH MAN! What a treat this was to get absolutely lost in. This isn't a small book and I devoured it! It's Historical Fiction with a smattering of Mythology and it couldn't have been more perfect for me. This one had me all over the place with emotions but then the best books do that. I did not want this one to end.

If you are looking for a book that will have you lost in love, crying out in despair, falling to your knees (so-to-speak) in agony, and eventually becoming lifted high on hope ... Go Grab This – “...though War is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of Love”

4.5/5 stars

Read this with my daughter. She liked it, I thought it was ok

I thought this was a very clever story. It involves the Greek gods and their involvement in the lives of mortals during WWI. I found the romance sappy and difficult to endure. I did find the character development and story line interesting.

4.5

4/5 stars

This book was really delightful and painful at the same time. I enjoyed that this was told by Greek Gods but it wasn't my favorite things. The two love stories in this are absolutely adorable and I loved all 4 of the characters. This book also touched on jazz in Europe during WWI, the treatment of black troops, and the impact the trenches could have on soldiers.

This book was paced very well and I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who loves historical fiction and/or romance.

Captivating, Romantic, Informative

I have an established grudge against World War historical romance. I don't like when a horrific setting is included primarily to raise the stakes of a relationship. If you need to invoke images of mass violence to make your love story that much sweeter, that much more agonizing, frankly, I think your love story sucks. Romance shouldn't need held up by whitewashed war. All this is to say, I went into Lovely War with trepidation. And while it wasn't my favorite, I concede that it was better than I thought it would be. The writing is lyrical. Though it's long, I couldn't put it down. And, fine, it made me tear up more than once.There is a lot of instalove—characters go quickly from seeing each other for the first time to being sure they want to spend their lives together. Berry justifies this with Aphrodite. See [b:Exit West 30688435 Exit West Mohsin Hamid https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1477324680l/30688435.SY75.jpg 51234185] for a more realistic (and, I think, compelling) depiction of love in times of political turmoil.Unfortunately, the aspect of the story that interested me most—the mythology—added nothing. If anything, it detracted. The gods' commentary about the Power of Love™ was painfully trite. I kept waiting for more. The historical note at the end was a pleasant surprise. It even includes a bibliography. It's apparent Berry worked to understand WWI's impact on people like her characters: younger generations, women, and Black Americans. I still have my hang-ups about the genre—the title is Lovely War, for one—but I appreciate the clear efforts to be thorough and sensitive.

I'm not sure I would have kept reading the physical book, but the narration kept me going. I liked this story more than I thought I would, and it was very well written. I enjoyed how different lives were wound together through the lens of Greek gods. I'd give this to more mature teens or adults who appreciate historical fiction/romance. The historical detail was excellent, not too overwhelming but well informed and readable. Definitely heart wrenching in some parts. It was a very good book with interesting characters, but I don't think they'll stay with me over time.