Lovely War

By: Julie Berry

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle, Allan Corduner, Julie Berry, Dion Graham, Fiona Hardingham, John Lee, Nathaniel Parker, Steve West

Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Listen to the novel New York Times best-selling author of The Alice Network Kate Quinn called "easily one of the best novels I have read all year". A critically acclaimed, multilayered romance set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II, where gods hold the fates - and the hearts - of four mortals in their hands.

They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect turned soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the US Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though war is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of love.

Hailed by critics, Lovely War has received seven starred reviews and is an indie best seller. Author Julie Berry has been called "a modern master of historical fiction" by Bookpage and "a celestially inspired storyteller" by The New York Times, and Lovely War is truly her masterwork.

©2019 Julie Berry (P)2019 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"This fascinating, gorgeously written novel of World War I will grip you and remind you that the greatest danger is closing our hearts to love." (Nancy Werlin, National Book Award honoree and New York Times best seller)

“Julie Berry writes the past as if she lived it.” (Jennifer Donnelly, New York Times best-selling author)

“Scheherazade has nothing on Berry.... An unforgettable romance so Olympian in scope, human at its core, and lyrical in its prose that it must be divinely inspired.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Lovely Story, Beautifully told!

This historical fiction, like all of Julie Berry's books is beautifully written. It tells the story of two couples through the Great War through the eyes of the Greek gods. It is a creative literary tool to share the horrors of and opportunities in war. I love Berry's prose and the way she captures her characters with clarity and affection.

Top of the Best

This read/listen totaly captured my wife and myself. It brought to light a personal side of the average people who were the players in WW1.
The performance was very good we loved multiple readers.
Using the Greek Gods as catalyst to move the story is interesting.

Excellent, across the board!

This book accompanied me on a well-traveled 16 hour road trip and though I’d driven it for years, I was so captivated by it, that I missed an exit I’ve taken dozens of times. It made me laugh and get teary-eyed and desperately hate the heartache and challenges. This is a listen not to be missed. What a gift to my ears and heart. A literary joy.

Lovely account of men, women, and racial experiences in WW1

Many books I’ve read about WW1 and WW2 have been focused on women OR men. This novel creates a full picture of the war’s effects on women, men, race, and nationalism. Rarely has PTS(D) been introduced as a result of service, so that was nice to see included in the broader look at war. It’s not a gory book but I would have liked a little more of a detailed account of James’s battles. Overall, if war novels are your jam and you’re not looking for something like The Nightingale or Unbroken, then this romantic version is a light and fun read/listen. The narrators are also fantastic.

Absolutely Beautiful!

It is so beautifully written. Historically accurate. And being told by the perspective of Aphroditie, Aries, Zeus, Apolo and Hades is brilliant... and theirs is a story that is humorous and tender... and perfect.
Aphrodities examples of love, (the two stories that unfold), are beautiful and heart wrenching (goodness, especially the delicate chapters by Hades..) I fell in love with the characters myself!
So georgeous and tender are the words throughout...and absolutely lovely.
It is one of my favorite stories ever!

Calling all hopeless romantics!

I loved this book so much and having the Greek Gods as narratives made it so fun. I couldn’t recommend this enough!

Romance in time of war. With greek gods present?

“Lovely War” narration was entertaining and engaging. I liked the different readers and their ability to show emotion throughout the piece.

I don’t normally read romances, but I was invested in both tales of devotion. Both couples seemed to grow past the outer beauty and love the interior of their sweetheart. What made this narrative more captivating was the historical aspect surrounding the romance. All characters played a hand in the result of WWI. Including the immortals on Mount Olympus.

I like reading historical fiction and I like reading about Greek mythology. I would have loved reading a romance during WWI and I would have loved reading about a trial at Mount Olympus. But, putting the two together was weird and out of place. I kept forgetting the purpose of the gods’ trial and why the two couples were even important.

“Lovely War” is beautifully written, but it strays from it's purpose and certain maturity in the story.

Heart-rendingly Poignant!

if you can only read/listen to one book this year, let it be Julie Berry's LOVELY WAR!

Not suitable for YA, but has great characters 🎼

The friendships and romances were lovely, as were the period details, the tiny snippets of music, and the well drawn characters. But this book seems wildly mislabeled as YA.

I mean the mention, the very very graphic mention, of very heinous war crimes committed by the Germans, against the Belgian people, during WWI should be enough to take it out of that genre. That aside, yes the main characters are young, but being eighteen in 1918 is hardly the same as being eighteen now, so I just don't understand the YA designation.

The narrative being told by Greek gods, hmmmm. Honestly it felt a smidge gimmicky and a smidge distracting. I mean it was sort of novel and interesting at first, and then it quickly got weird. And felt unnecessary. The four primary characters carried the story beautifully on their own.

Also, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, I mean with the constant announcement of the date, surely the story was leading toward the Spanish Flu pandemic that peaked in late 1918, and killed millions? But no, there were the briefest of mentions of the illness, and but it never touches any of the main characters or even their families, which seemed really weird.

But as a stand alone historical fiction romance, very enjoyable. And the afterword with additional information about the time period, the issues of race, gender, inequality, etc. that was well done.

The narration was generally well done and appealing, tho it seemed a bit wanky to have Greek gods speaking with a distinct British accent, but perhaps I nitpick.

It really is lovely

This novel was charming and fascinating - it managed to be a WWI novel without feeling bogged down by tropes. The structure is unique and engaging; the characters are complex, sweet, and yet real. The narration and score are such a pleasure to add to an already wonderful experience. One of the best reads I’ve had in a bit.