BIPOC Author Spotlight Sunday: Danica Nava

Author: Danica Nava Title: Love is a War Song Publisher: Berkley Date Published: 07/22/2025

Read Dates: 08/16/2026- 08/17/2026
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Love is a War Song is a single POV, fish-out-of-water opposites-attract romance. Singer Avery Fox has always followed the guidance of her mom/manager and record label, believing that if she just does her time and plays along, then one day she'll have more creative control. But when a cover photo in a warbonnet is released, everyone quickly turns against her, and she is called out for disrespect to Indigenous communities through the photo, her songs, and new music video.  She's sent to Oklahoma to her estranged grandmother's horse ranch to lie low and maybe connect with the heritage she never had a chance to learn about. There she meets Lucas Iron Eyes, her grandmother's right-hand man, a cowboy who hated her on principle before they ever met. Lucas wants nothing to do with Avery, but when it comes to light just how much the ranch is struggling, they reach a deal: Avery will pull every string she has to help her grandmother and new found family keep their home, and Lucas will teach her about the culture and community she's never really known.

I have heard nothing but good things about this author, and it was definitely warranted! I loved Lucas and Avery's story. I love that Avery isn't some spoiled kid who can't understand why people are upset- she's a hardworking young woman pushed into the limelight from a young age, who knows she made a mistake, and wants to genuinely learn and grow. She's a lonely young woman, surrounded by people but lacking in love and family. I loved Lucas' passion for the ranch and what it could be, and that he is able to look past the public image and see the person beneath. I'll definitely be reading more from Danica Nava! 

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?