Book Review: Lovely War

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sub-Genre: Romance

I didn’t really know much to expect going into this one but all I did know was that this was two love stories told by Greek gods, mainly by Aphrodite herself. Knowing this, I was expecting to be told beautiful stories, and I’m happy to say Aphrodite did not disappoint. A definite must read for every hopeless romantic out there who just wants that old time love. I’m definitely going to be reading similar books in the future.

Continue reading for more details.

Synopsis:

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 toward 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.

Review:

First up, James and Hazel. I was absolutely hooked on these two. They are the type of love I want. The way they couldn’t get each other off their minds, wanted to spend every minute together, stood by each other through everything, understanding each other’s pains and struggles they were facing at different parts of this book, and most importantly, loving each other, unwaveringly, with all of their hearts.

Hazel is sweet, innocent, and hopeful. She’s lived a simple life up until she met James. She played the piano and put most of her time and effort into it. The war didn’t feel like a reality until she met James and he had to leave for war soon after the strings of their hearts entwined. All throughout her time away from James, she held out hope, the main thing allowing for her to keep her head up and persisting.

James was a gentleman from the moment he first met Hazel ‘till the very end. His love for her was so pure and strong, the little things he did and felt when they first met was so cute as they were both so new to experiencing this feeling. He was an amazing friend out in war and a brave soul. He put himself out there for, not only Hazel, but for his fellow soldiers who also had their loved ones to live for.

I absolutely loved the overflowing amount of care they showed for each other when they were at their lowest and seeing the absolute rawness and sincerity in what they felt for each other.

“If the war's taught me anything at all, it's that life is short. I won't waste any more of it waiting for you.”

Next up, Aubrey and Colette. These two, at first, had that shy type of love where they silently admired each other and quietly wished for the other to love them back. Eventually, once they get through that question of “can we be more than friends?” phase, we can see how these two are an absolute perfect match for each other. Aubrey is willing to risk it all, his place in the army, his future music career that’s laid out for him, his life, for Colette. Colette needed someone like Aubrey who was ready to share Colette’s pains and burdens, to make it easier on her, who didn’t lose any admiration or respect for her after finding out about the broken part of her Colette tried to hide away. They were committed to each other, loyal to each other, and not ready to ever lose each other.

Colette has been through so much grief and pain due to this war tearing all her loved ones away from her. She carries the quiet guilt about her past actions, about not even trying to do anything to help when she could’ve. Colette keeps herself together throughout the day, not revealing anything about the nightmares she encounters every night. She pushes on everyday whilst being scared about facing any more losses and believing she is the problem when truly it’s the war breaking families and burying people way more often than it should.

Aubrey is an absolute gem and a very talented musician. His job in the army is to play for the band that entertains people. Aubrey has so much potential for an amazing career and life as a musician through the music he plays and composes. Though, he’s ready to sacrifice it all just to be with Colette. Aubrey is so supportive and tender towards Colette. Colette seems as if she believes she is a broken glass with jagged, sharp edges who can’t help but cause pain to those who get too close, but Aubrey proves otherwise as he provides her with all the love and care that she needs. Aubrey also faces his own struggles and losses, mainly due to prejudice and racism since he is a colored man. His character gives us a perspective on the society of Europe and a little of America during that time and what they have to face and deal with even through a time like this where everyone seems to be struggling and people like Aubrey are truly here to do their best and help fight for what’s right.

These two had their own unique beauty in their love than James and Hazel but, nonetheless, a strong couple who were made simply for each other.

“And when she sobbed until her eyes were bloodshot and her nose ran, he gave her a handkerchief and took advantage of nothing. Nothing but the chance to say, wordlessly, Here; you’ve been carrying that alone for a long time. Let me carry it with you awhile.”

The plot may seem “boring” to some people, especially as this is a bit of a bigger book but I felt like this wasn’t meant to be a book where it’s supposed to be fast-paced and keep the reader's attention through the events that happen in order to move the story forward. The historical period and issues during this time was interesting and added more meaning into the story. Though, I think this is the type of book you read because you want to admire the strong, well-developed characters’ and watch as their relationships begin to grow and blossom throughout the story, to see how people can come together and believe and love one another so much, to understand how loss can grow love between people, to simply be in awe of witnessing love in its absolute real and raw form.

“The most ordinary mortal bodies are housed by spectacular souls.”

The whole entire time I was reading this book, from the very first page, one of the things that really pulled me in was the writing style. The writing style was absolutely lovely and exquisite. I could literally see and feel the love, the pain, the heartbreak, the distress, everything through the words of the book. My heart was in the story, not just my mind. Julie was always able to set the atmosphere and tone of the scenes just right through her words and making it sound just like how I would imagine the Goddess of Love and Beauty would tell a story. Julie Berry and V.E. Schwab, hands down, have the most mesmerizing and best storytelling style ever!

“You may ask me, as others have done before, whether it was kindness or cruelty to allow them to meet, so soon before his departure, with so little time to discover each other. Whether the pangs of loss do not invalidate the bliss of love. Especially where war is concerned, and Death runs rampant with his bloody scythe. You may say that it was wicked of me to allow James to find Hazel, and Hazel, James, if three days were all they would have. I don’t call it cruelty. I do not apologize.”

I loved the addition of Greek Gods telling the story, elevating this historical fiction to make it feel as if these characters’ and their stories and love was a true work of art and fated to be. There’s just something about destiny and soulmates that I find so magical and sweet. I liked seeing how other Greek Gods, like Apollo, Ares, and Hades, contributed to the stories but Hades povs always had me worried lol 😂😅. I also really liked the additional layer of meaning the mortals’ stories had in the context of the Greek Gods because I found that meaningful and clever (and kinda didn’t think about it until I read the summary for the first time while writing this review lol).

“Let them start their dreadful wars, let destruction rain down, and let plague sweep through, but I will still be here, doing my work, holding humankind together with love like this.”

No, but I NEED a sequel of this book featuring what the author left off regarding the mortals. Like a world war 2 version, I will literally pay the author for another book like this one!

All in all, this is definitely the ultimate love story to ever be written. This is how people should love and be loved, and I stand by that completely. Nothing dramatic, nothing complicated, nothing immature. Just an undeniable love that is completely pure and straightforward.

Overall,

Recommended for Lovers Of: