4.5/5 stars

I finished this gem while on the bus this morning. Actually, I almost had a heart attack near the end there and sat with my mouth hanging open. I think the 6am bus commuters are slightly concerned at this point lol

I gushed about this book on Twitter and Instagram when I first started reading earlier this month, and I'm happy to say that it was a beautiful, mesmerizing story. This book is about love. And it captures your attention just like Hephaestus' trap for Aphrodite and Ares in the beginning of the book. And if you're like me, and not a fan of romance or love stories, you may start off like Ares–annoyed, impatient, only caring about war–but you'll eventually be swept away by the characters and their relationships with each other.

The beginning of this book was what immediately had me screaming "YES THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC!" The writing felt very reminiscent of Greek and Latin literature. This probably had to do with the fact that this book is narrated mostly through Aphrodite's perspective, with a few glimpses of other gods, like Ares, Apollo, and Hades. There's an omniscient presence throughout the entire book. The narrators know the story and what is going to happen, and they relish in the storytelling process. The relationship between the gods also reminded me a lot of the Percy Jackson books. I was actually cackling out loud at some of the lines cause they fit so perfectly with each god's characteristics.

The present setting takes place during WW2, where Hephaestus catches Aphrodite and Ares together and decides to hold court to prove that Aphrodite is guilty of infidelity. Aphrodite presents her evidence in the form of a story. That story transports the gods back to WW1 and follows the lives of four young men and women who find love amidst a war-torn land.

The first quarter of this book mostly focused on Hazel and James. And I literally loved every second of it! I wasn't expecting to squeal so much over two young people falling in love, but it happened. It was so cute, and while the relationship progressed fast, it fit well with the story and the urgency that comes with going off to fight a war.

Then we suddenly get new perspectives. We find out about Colette's story and then we're immediately introduced to Aubrey. I loved Aubrey with all my heart. He's charming and funny, and his story really brought awareness to the issues African Americans faced during WW1. I was not expecting to learn about this at all. I had assumed this would just follow Hazel and James and their love story, but Aubrey's POV really made this book everything.

(I should add that there should be trigger warnings for sexual assault, racism, racial slurs, and violence/murder.)

I don't want to say too much because spoilers, but this book was absolutely incredible. The beginning was a pretty fast-paced read, but it slowed down towards the middle as we got to know the characters better. I loved the scenes where Aubrey is playing the piano and Colette is singing along. Aubrey coming up with new songs to suit Colette's voice and watching as they both slowly fall in love. I loved seeing Hazel and Colette's friendship and how they raised each other up when the other needed it the most. James training to survive in the trenches was actually really interesting to read about since I didn't know much about battles in WW1.

But I think what hit me the most was the emotions I felt while reading this book. I almost cried so many times. The story is heartbreaking and painful, and it can also be frustrating, especially Aubrey's POVs where he highlights how hard it is being African American. It made me realize how lucky we are to not have gone through a huge war like WW1 and WW2.

You could tell just by reading how much time and effort went into writing this book. The historical notes at the back really gave a glimpse of the research Julie Berry put in, especially when it came to talking about what it was like for African American soldiers fighting in the war. I didn't realize there were actual accounts from during that time period, and it makes me want to read up on it more.

Overall, I highly, highly recommend this book. I wasn't expecting to love it so much and now I want to read all of Julie Berry's books! If you're not that into romance or love stories, then I'm here to convince you that if this book could thaw my frozen heart, you'll be nothing but a puddle by the end of this!