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.

Iris is trying her hardest in her family life. Her brothers gone missing and her mother is an addict, so she’s doing her best to not let it fall in to more despair. So she starts to write letters to her brother in hopes he’ll reappear. She sticks these letters under her closet door where they magically disappear. But they somehow end up in the hands of Roman, her rival at the newspaper they work at. So he decides to write her back and thus beings a connection either of them knew they needed.

Give me rivals and give me magic… and bam you have another awesome story Rebecca has written. It’s full of heartbreak and comedy. And I love a good enemies-lovers stories, and that’s what this delivers.

Like any book Rebecca writes, it’s moving and lyrical and dreamy. I can’t wait for her next book!

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
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During the day Iris works hard as a journalist at the Gazette, trying to best her rival. But at night she mourns her brothers decision to enlist in the war. She types him letters every night. One night she gets a letter back, but not from her brother.
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What I Liked:
-I enjoyed the rivalry between Iris and Roman. It was obvious that they were fighting their attraction, and I was enjoying their little jabs at each other.
-The story about the alouette typewriters was wonderfully magical! I hope the typewriters can come back in book two!
-I am thoroughly intrigued by this war of the Gods and want to know everything. Book one didn’t give me all the details and I have already added book two to my TBR.
-I have to admit that the end of this book did not end the way I thought it would! 😳😅 And I am a bit anxious to see where things go from here.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first Rebecca Ross book that ultimately wasn’t five stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Divine Rivals, but I didn’t think it lived up to her prior novels

Rebecca Ross is my favorite author of all time. I've loved everything she's written, yet Divine Rivals completely blew me away. I have never been so excited while reading a book in my life. My heart was in my throat and my stomach was in knots all the way through.

While Divine Rivals didn't seem quite as magical to me compared to Ross's other books, it was still the best Ross offering so far. The idea of the magical typewriters made my writer's heart soar. I would love to know a bit more about the mythology of the gods that Rebecca writes about in this tome, but the love story is superb.

I've never been happier in all my life to award a book five out of five stars, but this one really got to me. My tears were both happy and sad and even though I cried for these characters, I had a smile on my face the whole time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“A war with the gods is not what you expect it to be.”

DIVINE RIVALS is many things. It is a love story, a tale of great wars and resurrected gods, a representation of female love and friendship, and a beautifully written, heart-wrenching, hopeful novel filled with words that will love your soul.

What I Loved:
✉️ The Book Thief x You’ve Got Mail x Greek Mythology vibes
✉️ rivals to lovers
✉️ WWI inspired with fantasy elements
✉️ so many strong female characters
✉️ powerful prose
✉️ opposites attract romance
✉️ strong magic system with deep lore and unexpected plot twists

Iris and Roman are rivals, both rising in their careers as journalists — but Roman has been receiving Iris’s letters she writes to her missing brother and eventually begins to respond. As the war in the west looms, Iris leaves to report on the fight and hopes to find out what happened to her brother… and Roman follows her. With secrets, yearning, and life or death stakes, they’ll have to learn to trust one another for any hope of survival, and maybe even love.

Rebecca Ross has gifted us with a historical fantasy masterpiece and I will be counting down the days until book two is released!

I loved Divine Rivals! It was a perfect mix of fantasy and romance with a depth to the characters that was exceptional. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book surprised me. Other than the war of the gods in the far ar background it could have been set in present day. It was 90% a romance and about family. The fantasy did not really kick in until the last 10% of the book. I am interested to see where the next book goes. I expect that one will be much more fantasy now that the stage has been set.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like home. It was just so comfy, even in the darkness. I love Rebecca Ross' lyrical writing. I just absolutely loved this story. If you're a fan of enemies to lovers, this if definitely for you.

5/5 ⭐

This book was like a warm hug for me and completely what I needed to read right now. I don't believe Rebecca Ross can write a bad book and this just proves to me again that her writting is my favorite. This story is absolutely beautiful and romantic, the characters are so well written. I really don't have the words to describe what this book made me feel. I know I will need to re-read it as soon as I get myself a physical copy, and it's going to become a favorite of mine. Iris was a delight and I loved how brave she was, but Roman?? SWOON. He was the CUTEST. If you love romance and fantasy set in the 1800's, you will fall in love with this book in the first chapter. I need the sequel NOW.

A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I am highly jealous of the gorgeous cover UK readers got. But secondly, I still love this book regardless of what it looks like.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a YA fantasy novel that is highly complicated and convoluted to explain. Basically, two rival journalists find love against the backdrop of war between gods. Iris just wants her family back, with her mother suffering from an addiction and her brother trapped on the front lines, she starts to write letter to her brother and put them in her wardrobe. Only for them to magically land in the hands of her rival, Roman. Who, in turn, starts to write back.

I absolutely loved the enemies to lovers in this book. I found myself falling head over heels for Roman, and I am overjoyed that we get more in a book two.
Divine Rivals also works a perfect hangover recovery from watching Shadow and Bone season 2. I couldn't have asked for this book at a better time.

Also look the other way, if you see me reading this one over and over and over again. You saw nothing.

The premise sounded so promising, but it unfortunately didn’t deliver at all.

It took me weeks to get through this. I honestly should have DNFed it. I kept holding out hope that it would get better considering all of the amazing reviews that were coming out from early readers.

If it had focused on Iris’s brother or the war between the Gods, it would have actually been interesting. Instead it focused on an extremely toxic enemies-to-lovers relationship between two people that should not be together.

Disappointed.