Divine Rivals starts off a bit slow, but I like that it allowed me to understand this new world Rebecca Ross created. I also found the premise of the book, dueling newspaper columnists during a war of the Gods, so intriguing.

The characters development and interactions between Iris and Kitt were wonderful. I also really liked the romance aspect of the book and the banter between Iris and Kitt. I definitely recommend giving this book (and her adult books) a shot.

The author posted some content/trigger warnings for this book:

Loss of a parent
Loss of a sibling
A parent struggling with alcoholism
Profanity: mild
Depictions of PTSD
Violence: moderate to severe
Mature Scenes: present on the page, but not explicit

"I am coming to love him, in two different ways. Face to face, and word to word."

Don't know if this is the best book RR has written but I know it's best book I've read by her so far. I'm absolutely obsessed and blown away by it. Could hardly put it down, reading looooooong into the night.
It's been some time since a book's had me so hooked from the first page that it made skip meals.

The writing is yet again superb. RR knows how to evoke emotion through her writing and constantly draws on your heart strings.

The story centers around our 2 MCs, Iris and Roman, their lives and their romance, and gods, did I love them both! This is a very character driven book, and if you are not a fan of those you might find Divine Rivals slow and boring especially if you don't connect with the characters. For me, as someone who doesn't fall into this category, this book was stunning.
Roman gave me Darlington vibes and I'm obsessed, I only wish we'd gotten more of his POV towards the end.


I just loved everything about this. Yeah, maybe the world building was a little lacking, and other minor things were not fleshed out enough but did I care? Not one bit when the book made me feel the way it did.
The whole storyline with the typewriters? Brilliant, amazing, magical, loooooooved it.

The letters and the romance were my fav parts.
The book deals with topics such as poverty, abandonment, addiction, guilt, grief, and more.

"I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. To feel as if you're left behind, or like your life is in shambles and there's no guidebook to tell you how to stitch it back together."

And that ending...
am I surprised RR did that? No. Am I mad regardless? Yes.
I need Ruthless Vows yesterday


eternal gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

I cannot begin to express how much I loved this book and how desperately I need the next in the series!!!! This is You've Got Mail meets mythology meets some weird hybrid of Victorian and modern England - it seems like it all shouldn't work when put together, but it absolutely does!

While there were some moments of the story I felt were a bit rushed, I think that this was well written with beautiful characters and I cannot wait for more.

This was a delightful historical fantasy romance that exceeded my expectations. The story follows two rivals who start exchanging letters amidst a world-threatening war. While the fantasy elements are subtle, the rich historical world created by Ross is captivating. The main characters, Iris and Roman, initially appear flawed and arrogant, but their character growth and slow-burn romance are beautifully portrayed. The book also explores themes of grief and guilt, which were integrated seamlessly into the story. Ross's writing style is lush and witty, making reading a pleasure. Despite not being plot-driven, the book has a unique charm, and the romance gave me butterflies. I highly recommend Divine Rivals for fans of historical fiction romance with a touch of fantasy and well-developed characters. The audiobook of Divine Rivals, narrated by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk, was a captivating experience with engaging dual narration that brought the characters to life. Wingfield and Norfolk captured the nuances of the story, conveying the lush writing style of Rebecca Ross. The pacing and tone were good, making it highly recommended for fans of historical fantasy romance.

I was a little weary when I saw this had a 4.5 on Goodreads as that is extremely high. I'm happy to say that I agree and this did not disappoint. The narrative was so beautiful, Rebecca Ross has such a way with words. I loved the characters, I loved the slow burn of it all. I just wish I could live inside this book. I will be recommending Divine Rivals to any and everyone!

Divine Rivals is a book made to be CONSUMED, which is what will happen when you pick this up because once you start it, you aren’t going to want to put it down.

When Rebecca Ross sat down to write this book she must have said… let me do an enemies to lovers– but make it RIVALS instead; let’s have a war-time plot– but make it a war between the GODS; let’s have a You’ve Got Mail situation but make it MAGICAL LETTERS. Let’s set it in the late 1800s–but make it feminist and queernormative.

I see you, Rebecca. You’ve got our number.

Iris Winnow is a high school drop-out working as a paid intern-of-sorts at a local newspaper to support her family after her brother Forest goes off to war. She writes him letters but since she doesn't know where to send them, she puts them in the bottom of her wardrobe where they inexplicably disappear until one day a piece of paper returns with only 3 words on it: This isn’t Forest.

Roman C. Kitt is an aspiring columnist who isn’t going to let Iris get in the way of what he wants; though what he is sure he DOESNT want is the arranged marriage his father has set up for him in order to achieve a higher social status.

For Iris and Roman, what starts as a workplace competition will end as so much more.

This book was so beautifully written, with characters that you easily grow to love and want to root for and the slow-burn romance is so artful that you would almost be disappointed when things finally ignite if it weren't so heart-achingly sweet. There are themes of grief of loss weaved through the story but also undying HOPE. And the feelings…oh the FEELINGS, I had while on this journey with Iris and Kitt… My only mistake was going into this not realizing it was a duology so I was utterly unprepared for a cliff-hanger that is going to have me stalking upcoming release lists until I know EXACTLY when book 2 can be in my hands.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy of this amazing book!

Iris and Roman are both competing for a promotion to columnist at the Oath Gazette. With recently awoken gods and a war raging between them, one that Iris’s brother has been away fighting for for months, there’s certainly enough to write about. But when tragedy strikes, Iris takes a job as a reporter on the frontline to try and get closer to her brother, enchanted typewriter and mysterious pen pal in tow. Thrown into the heart of the action, Iris grapples with the realities of war and whether it should encompass every other aspect of her life – or if she should follow her heart despite certain heartbreak.

Reminiscent of You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around the Corner, while the romance between Iris and Roman is formulaic and written without many surprises, it’s nevertheless quite engaging and I did find myself rooting for the couple. There’s a mixture of mature content that fades to black and new adult aged characters that act younger, so I’m not really sure what age group this is intended for – may high YA? Romance readers will likely be satisfied with the arc here.

The fantasy side of things is incredibly shaky, the world seemingly a WWII (maybe WWI?) copycat with gods thrown into the mix instead of countries. I know it’s fantasy, so the setting doesn’t necessarily have to reflect our real world, but there was a total lack of understanding of what TIME this story is set in, something (in my opinion) quite necessary when technology of any kind is involved, despite the presence of magic. Speaking of magic, despite being labeled fantasy, the only magic evident is that of the aforementioned magic typewriter. And there are gods. Whose backstory is revealed through info dumps/stories but never delved into any further. And that’s it.

I feel like this book might just be a failure in marketing for me. I was expecting a fantasy with a side of romance but was instead given a love story with mentions of gods and a few supernatural creatures. Had it been labeled more clearly, my expectations would have been more in line with the novel I read, and perhaps my experience a bit more enjoyable. Rebecca Ross is most definitely a talented writer, and the twists near story’s end certainly captured my attention so I will be continuing this series – and checking out her other books – but this novel is definitely for romance readers who might enjoy a bit of magic sprinkled in for good measure.

Fantasy purists beware.

Content warning: war, death, blood, violence, alcoholism, PTSD, death of a parent, death of a sibling.

Rebecca Ross has always drawn me in with her words, and I have found things that have wrapped my heart up in every one of her books. Thrilled that netgalley allowed me to read an advanced copy! While this one is not (in my opinion) her strongest book, she closed the story in such a brilliant and surprising way. It took me a while to be hooked by this story, but I did love it by the end, and was sufficiently gut punched by the hanging threads - I cannot wait to see how this duology continues.

Content: LGBTQ+ side characters, mention of child death and parental death, substance abuse, depression, war (very light on the gore).

Two rival journalists find that they have a secret connection and have been anonymously sending each other letters that forge their relationship through war, grief, and blossoming romance. In a world where there is war amongst the gods, eighteen year old Iris Winnow is vying for the top columnist position against her rival, the handsome but cold Roman Kitt. Iris wants to write about the war because her brother went off to fight it and has since disappeared, she’s been writing letters that magically disappear and she assumes that they are being sent to her brother, despite the fact that he never responds. Yet one day she receives a letter in turn telling her that the person isn’t her brother but would love to maintain a correspondence with her. Roman Kitt has money, education, and wants nothing more than to secure this position as top columnist to make his family proud after the devastating lost they experienced... yet his biggest distraction comes in the form of a gorgeous rival that he just can’t get out of his head. To his surprise he’s been receiving Iris’s letters but for some reason can’t help himself, he’s kept them all, he begins a secret correspondence with her and every letter between them only draws him further into her but he still hasn’t told her who he truly is and he fears that the moment she knows its him, she’ll stop seeing him for who he truly is. This was an absolutely stunning and romantic novel. The relationship between Roman and Iris was BEAUTIFUL. The way their letters, their slow opening up to one another, and their rivalry really just creates such a fantastic story, truly I fell in love with this book and can’t wait to see where the next book goes, especially with that cliff hanger. Iris and Roman are both dealing with so much, and on top of that they are living in a world that is currently at war, goodness, the things they go through, their strength, truly astounded me. Rebecca Ross has such a beautiful way of writing and she truly manages to capture grief and romance so well. I absolutely adored this one and would highly recommend it! This was simply a divine time.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

(4.75/5) Okay the way I couldn't STOP with this book??? Rebecca Ross has DONE IT AGAIN; the way she builds stories -- worlds, characters, plots -- I was enthralled the whole time and now I'm anxious for the next book in the series. Break me in book one and put me back together in book two, Rebecca, please.

Iris and Roman are two rival journalists who are caught up as war correspondents in a war between gods. Iris' brother is away fighting in the war and at night, she slips letters to him under her wardrobe door. The letters always disappear, but she never receives a response until one day, a letter appears on her floor. But it's not from her brother.

Perfect for you if you're a fan of historical fantasy romances and liked The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a poignant love story in a fascinating fantasy world, and I was so engrossed in the story that when it ended, I almost fell over the edge of the cliff it left me hanging on.

Iris is competing against Roman for a coveted spot as a columnist at the local paper. Sparks fly between them daily until Iris's mom dies, and Roman wins the newspaper position. Without any connections left in Oath, Iris becomes a war correspondent to find her brother, whom she hasn't heard from since he initially went to join the war of the gods. A magical connection and unexpected twists and turns moved this story in a direction I could have never seen coming.

Bullet Point Review:

I enjoyed that the love story reminded me a great deal of a fantasy version of You've Got Mail, that is, until it veered so far away from reminding me of the movie plot that I forgot all about it, and it became uniquely its own story.
The writing is so exquisite that it becomes a light in a story full of dark, just like Iris and Roman's love.

I both loved and hated that I couldn't believe the book ended where it ended. I tried to find more pages and was devastated that there weren't any.

The world-building is subtle yet extraordinarily complex and is explained to the reader through stories of myth and lore.

The characters are all so well developed with layers and complexities that they easily carry this character-driven story.

The narration is third-person, but the writing is so personal that it resembles first-person narration.

The pacing is medium. It drags a bit initially, but it really ramps up when it ramps up.

Read, if you like:
* Historical-ish fantasy stories
* Poignant love stories
* Beautiful prose and immersive world-building

I've been a fan of Rebecca Ross since her Elements of Cadence duology and was so excited when I received this arc. It blew me away! Ross's writing is consistently striking and lyrical. Divine Rivals is a historical fantasy novel with an immersive setting reminiscent of World War I. Iris and Roman, our protagonists, are perfectly complementary while still being fully fleshed out as individuals. It's impossible not to fall in love with these two as they navigate a grueling war between the gods. The pacing of the story was spot on and the tone was just right for a YA novel while still being entertaining for older readers. Also, the casual LGBTQ+ representation in some of the side characters was the cherry on top for me. I'm highly anticipating the next installment in this series!

Divine Rivals is a romance, fantasy, historical ya novel. In that order. The romance aspect was great. Iris was a fun protagonist, and Roman was my favorite type of man, a simp. Their romance was cute, and the stakes were high enough to add tension. Some people may find the romance a little fast, but I thought the war aspect was sufficient enough in speeding up their relationship. The fantasy/worldbuilding element was a little hard for me to grasp, but it didn't detract from the story. The historical aspect was really good and I enjoyed the trench warfare and issues there. I wish the book had been slightly longer and we had spent more time on the warfront, but I'm excited for book 2.

This was a great read about two rival journalists who forge a connection of love and must fight the gods to survive. I’m a huge fan of Rebecca Ross and whenever she usually writes a new book, I try to read it asap! This book didn’t disappoint and I love how each of her books is unique. There is the perfect dash of fantasy and romance that I fall in love with in the story. I loved the world-building in this book when it came to the magic part of the book but I have to say that I did not like the war aspect setting. I lean towards more modern fantasy and not the past as it feels too old-timey. The war theme did one into play as it was connected to the plot. Though this book is not plot-driven but character driven, the pacing feels slow.

The main characters in this book are Iris and Roman. Both compete for the same journalist position but complications come in the way. I enjoyed their characters and felt connected to them as they developed so much in one book. They were very well written when it came to their stories and how powerful they are. There are also many side characters in this book and I liked how involved they were with the story. The tropes in this book are angsty, enemies to lovers trope which is cute though I felt the romance happened way faster than I was expecting.

It ends with a cliffhanger which was expected as I knew there was going to be a book two. I’m disappointed that I have to way now because I really enjoyed how the story went. There is so much going on that I’m excited to see how it comes in the next book. I do recommend this book, especially for my Grishaverse fans because you will love this one.

Divine Rivals is another fantastic read from Rebecca Ross. I loved the historical, wartime setting. In this world two gods, Dacre and Enva have awoken from their centuries long sleep. Their feud soon envelopes the world around them and war commences.

Divine Rivals follows Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, two rival journalists who are both vying for a columnist position at the Oath Gazette. Iris needs the position to earn more money for her family and Roman needs the position to appease his father. Iris has secret struggles, such as when her brother enlisted in Enva’s army it drove her mother to alcohol abuse. Roman is not with his own troubles as his scheming father wants him to marry someone he’s never met, just to strengthen his family.

Iris has been writing letters to her brother, but never sending them. She instead slips them under her wardrobe door, where they disappear. Unknown to her, they end up with her rival, Roman. Roman finally responds one day to see what will happen. The two begin writing to each other and form a unique bond.

Once Roman is awarded the position, Iris resigns from the Oath Gazette, and takes a war corespondent position with the Inkridden Tribune. She wants to find her brother, since she hasn’t heard from him since he left for war. She fears the worst but hopes for the best. She keeps writing to her mysterious pen pal and tells him all her hopes and fears. Roman knows Iris is the sender of the letters, but she doesn’t know he is who is receiving hers.

Roman soon realizes he loves Iris and quits the Oath Gazette and signs up for a war correspondent position as well so he can find Iris. The two are soon reunited, and Iris slowly begins to trust Roman. Everything comes to a head just as the war reaches a new height and complicates things for everyone.

I loved this book. The enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites and this one was pretty fantastic. I loved watching the characters grow throughout the story. The world building was really well done and really drew me in. The cliffhanger ending has me ready for book two already.

~ Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review! ~ 3.5 stars

"Time felt different in a letter."

This book is a love letter to so much. It follows Iris and Roman, two rival journalists assigned to write about the war between gods. But Iris writes more than just articles. At home, she writes letters to her brother on the front lines and never receives a response. That is, until one slides out from under her wardrobe. Only, the letter she receives in response is not from her brother, it's from a stranger, a stranger who has quite a way with words. Unbeknownst to Iris, this swoony stranger is none other than her arch-nemesis, Roman Kitt.

Throughout the course of the book we follow the turmoil of living in a war-torn land and what it means to report on that. But at the heart of this story is a romance. Iris must grapple with growing feelings for Roman and feelings for the boy who's writing her letters.

While I enjoyed the romance, I didn't find it strong enough to fully pull me through the story. I wished there was more plot, though the writing was exquisite.

"The sight of him returning from his run—all vigor and fire, as if he had drunk from the sky, untamed and unburdened and alive."

Roman was charming and I especially loved how much he treasured Iris's writing. Even when they were "enemies" he read all her articles for "research" and "tactics" (right...).

Iris was the character I truly connected with. She had incredible drive, but also listened to her emotions. She was reflective and found solace in expressing her feelings through writing (wow, that doesn't sound familiar at all).

"It was strange to her—how close she could be to people and yet how far away and lonely she felt. How the night made things feel more poignant and desperate."

The thing about this book that I truly loved most was how much better it made me feel about the book I'm writing. It showed me that there is a market for the YA historical fantasy genre and that a slower, emotional story is one that sells and people enjoy. I was also really inspired by Rebecca Ross's prose.

Divine Rivals is a touching story of joy and love found within a world of chaos and destruction. While I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel, many readers will absolutely need to after that ending!

Title: Divine Rivals
Author: Rebecca Ross
Release Date: April 4th, 2023
Page Count: 357
Format: Netgalley and Audiobook
Start Date: April 8th,2023
Finish Date: April 9th, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

When I first started this book, it was really going over my head. To be fair, I chose to read it during a readathon and might have been tired at the time. I'm not sure. Either way, I kept reading it. As it went on, things started making sense and being explained. I really adored both of the main characters. I related a lot to Iris. She was constantly worried about her predicament and what others thought of her. I didn't exactly relate to Roman, but I did connect to him. He was raised in a very privileged life, but he had compassion. He really adored Iris and thought she was so talented. Sadly though, he just didn't know how to tell her so all she had to go on was what she heard him say when she first started the job. I really need the second book in my life. I guess I'll do my best to wait a year. I really hope it's only a year!!!!

Important to Note: Ends with a cliffhanger. Descriptions of war and violence.

Divine Rivals is truly one of the best books i'll read this year.

I've been shouting about Rebecca's talent for a while and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. There is something so magical, vulnerable and lovely about each one of her books that make them all time favorites.

Divine Rivals is set in a world war 1940's type setting. You get two perspectives from rival journalists who while they are competing against one another...never lose their curiosity to know the other better. While the world is great the characters are what make this book TOP TIER.

This is a book about hope. How even within in the darkest moments one's own history, memories can be created that somehow seem to banish out the dark, if only for a moment in time.

This story feels like a warm cup of chocolate on a rainy day. The tumult and the horrors of war are never sugar coated but yet you can lose yourself in a romance that will melt your insides and fill you in ways only Ross is able to do with her immersive and emotional writing.

This is full of mystic gods, slow burn tension, edge of your seat suspense, epistolary moments, beauty in battered things, and moments that will make you weep.

Some stories are just special and Divine Rivals is one of them.

Greatly anticipating the 2024 sequel.

@beccajross has quickly become one of my favorite authors. she just has such an enchanting way of telling stories. I really enjoyed these characters, especially Roman ❤️ the ending was brutal, and also a bit frustrating. this was definitely more Fantasy Lite so I recommend this if you’re newer into fantasy and especially if you generally enjoy historical fiction, because that’s how this reads. can’t wait for the next one! thanks to @netgalley for this gifted digital copy.

A little too YA-y at times and there were some infelicities of language that pulled me out of the story now and again, but those didn't stop me from gobbling this down in 24 hours.

This is a rivals-to-lovers You've Got Mail–inspired fantasy romance set in an alternative WWI-era England. The main characters are 18-year-old Iris and 19-year-old Roman, who are competing for a single columnist position at the city newspaper. Iris's brother is off at war, and her single-parent mother has devolved into alcoholism since his departure. Iris's apprenticeship at the newspaper is now the only income the family has, forcing her to drop out of school despite being top of her class. Roman, on the other hand, is contending with the social aspirations of his nouveau riche parents, including an arranged marriage to a stranger. They're linked by typewriters with a magical connection to each other; true to the original You've Got Mail / Shop Around the Corner storyline, Roman discovers Iris's identity as letter-writer first and falls for her first. The book is technically dual POV but I'd say is 80% Iris; I wouldn't have minded more scenes from Roman's POV.

As for the war itself: a rash of books have been published in the last few months featuring a polytheistic society with fallen gods at war with each other / over whom their worshipers are at war: Hannah Kaner's Godkiller, M.K. Lobb's Seven Faceless Saints, Hannah Whitten's The Foxglove King. Of these four, the world-building and mythology is lightest in Divine Rivals, taking a backseat to the romance and the lived experiences of those on the front lines. The author has promised more backstory about the gods in the next book, though.

I loved the romance in this (I will always be a sucker for a You've Got Mail–esque storyline) and the fast pace. The writing felt a little amateur at times (odd for an author for whom this is her 7th book) but, overall, I enjoyed it immensely.