I loved every single thing about this book. I’ve been a big fan of Ross’s work for a while and, honestly, I didn’t think it could get better than the Cadence duology. And yet, somehow, Divine Rivals was everything I wanted in a story and more.

The characters are fascinating the whole way through, instantly relatable and wonderfully complex. I loved both Iris and Roman and thought there was just enough of Roman’s POV to create more tension and depth in the story which is hard to juggle if it’s not a one-for-one switch. Their love story is beautiful, timeless and heartbreakingly sweet. Absolutely it’s one of the best romances in a fantasy book I’ve read in a long time and this is my preferred genre so I’ve read a *lot* of them.

Then with the magic and the fantasy side, Ross has created a really interesting world where gods are still present and wrecking havoc and typewriters that bend time and space but you also have really relatable touchstones like newspapers that are easily recognizable from our world. It was a really neat mash-up and it blended together masterfully, not being totally of our world but not totally unfamiliar. I’m so intrigued by it and I’m looking forward to more in book two.

I will not lie: this book will put you in a chokehold. You won’t be able to put it down. The pacing is truly fantastic and there was one point (when you get there you’ll know) where I blazed through over a hundred pages without breathing, or at least it felt like it. I would’ve finished the book right then if sleep wasn’t necessary.

I cannot praise this book enough. It’s thrilling and lovely, harsh and gentle, it’s everything and it’s divine. I am already waiting (painfully) for book two because that ending, goodness, it’ll leave you breathless and begging for more.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley (but I bought a physical copy because I loved it so much) in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Divine Rivals!

I am genuinely at a loss for words with this book. I was about 10 pages in before deciding I need to read every book Rebecca has ever written because her writing is that incredible. I was absolutely in love with this book from the very start.

I absolutely devoured this unique story. I loved the magical elements, and I truly connected with the characters. I think Rebecca found a perfect balance between romance and plot, and the side-characters added so much depth to the story as well. From page 1, I genuinely felt like I was inside of Iris's mind, and I was able to feel each emotion she experienced throughout the course of the book.

I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to Divine Rivals, and I will absolutely be reading every book on Rebecca's backlist while I wait. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a fantasy novel featuring enemies-to-lovers, heartache, hope, and romance.

This was my first book by Rebecca Ross and I was pretty surprised,. I'm not typically drawn to war stories but the fantastical elements of active gods and goddesses at the head of the war? And magical typewriters? Now that was interesting enough to get me hooked. I wish we were able to spend a little bit more time with the letters sent between our main characters because I feel like most of the relationship's development happened off the page so it was a little difficult to root for it to come to fruition. But boy the stakes were high! War correspondents in the trenches?? In a YA book?? That was new and very nerve wrecking. I'm not sure I loved the final plot twist/character reveal but I think many will enjoy it or at least be surprised. I am also entirely surprised to find out this will be a series! This is one to pick up if you get the chance and the audiobook was fantastic.
Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity) and Julie Berry (Lovely War).

First off, the cover is beautiful. Second, Iris and Roman's story is so sweet and sad and exciting and all the things. The ending really got me and I so hope there is a second book in the works soon. I love the mix of magic, war, and gods. The writing style is well done and the action scenes really make you feel like you are there.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Divine Rivals
by Rebecca Ross
Pub Date: 04 Apr 2023

This book was pure magic! There were so many avenues the book took...all were perfect. Historical fiction mixed with fantasy aspect. Work rivals who both have a special typewriter (unknown to the other) which allows messages to be sent through a cupboard leading them to a pen pal relationship (though our heroine doesn't know who she is corresponding with!) Gah!! I loved the relationship between Ivy and Roman (Carter), both the one in person and the one on paper. So many strong characters and great storytelling all around. And that ending...how am I going to wait for the next book?!

5 stars

It was a very unique and interesting read especially as I wouldn't have picked up this one if not for netgalley. It was a very different world where this historical romance between two journalists whose letters end up with each other mysteriously. It concentrated more on world building by including a variety of aspects that add character to the world itself. It includes some fantasy elements with warring gods and how these writers Iris and Roman get involved in this war. I knew it was supposed to have an epic love story with the title Divine Rivals so that is definitely why I picked it up and it was definitely intriguing! It was more of a 3.5 stars read for me!

OKAY listen!!!! I love Rebecca Ross so much! She has never wrote a book that I didnt like. Her writing style is so unique and captivating. This was another book that I read in 3 sittings because I could not put it down! I dont even wanna write about what I read in this book because I want everyone to be just as surprised and have the rush of emotions just like I did!!!

Rebecca Ross is one of my favorite authors and I was excited to see that she was writing a new series. I found this book engrossing, and loved the main characters. The author's prose is beautiful and she has become an automatic buy for me. I'm excited for the next book in the series.

In the past few monthes I have re-read A Rvier Enchanted, then read A Fire Endless, followed by Divine Rivals. I feel like a Rebecca Ross junkie because they are all just so good! I have to say, I didn't she could top A River Enchanted, but I loved Divine Rivals even more! Her atmospheric and wonderfully descriptive writing style is such a gift. And she has a way of making the fantasy genre accessible to non-fantasy readers. I am buying the hard cover and counting down the days to the sequel!

Quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I’ve been in a reading slump most of this year and most books are taking several hundred pages before I even begin to care about the characters… this book hooked me right away and I finished it in a few hours.

Iris Winnow is working for her local paper in competition with her rival Roman C. Kitt for a columnist position. The paper is essentially hiding the truth about the ongoing god war. Her brother is fighting in the war and hasn’t been heard from in months and her mother dies suddenly. She gives up her position at the paper to work as a war correspondent. All the while she is magically exchanging letters with someone she knows as Carver… but is actually her rival Roman. Roman is 100% aware of who she is and is in fact so into her he follows her to the front lines.

I will always be a huge sucker for enemies to lovers and especially when the grumpy dark haired man falls first. What can I say I’m simple woman.

When a war between the god Dacre and goddess Enva breaks out, Iris Winnow is trying to find her way as a columnist for a major newspaper. To get the job, she has to beat out her rival, a wealthy boy who has it all, Roman Kitt. She has no idea that the letters she's typing to her brother at the front are making their way, by magic, to the guy she's trying to beat.

Rebecca Ross does a great job of building such interesting worlds filled with magic. I was immediately interested and Iris and Roman's story and appreciated how she built in the background of the two gods at war. There was a brief period during the romance where the story's pace slowed, but overall I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next book!

Amazing historical fantasy, great plot, Characters were interesting and very relatable, Great storytelling, love the romance . The story feels fresh and unique, definitely will recommend

Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley Wow! What an amazing read. I really fell in love with this book. The writing was just absolutely enchanting. The author writes emotion so beautifully. You could honestly feel the grief and sorrow that Iris was feeling. I really felt immersed in a part of the story as I was reading it. I have this great on an affection for all of these characters. That ending I can’t. This book is definitely one of my new favorites, so glad to have the opportunity to listen to early. I literally can’t wait to read the next one.

An emotional rollercoaster of swoon-worthy love in a time of heartbreaking war, Divine Rivals is a classic romance perfect for historical romance lovers looking to add a little magic and mythology to the mix.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press & Wednesday Books for a complimentary copy of this e-book. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own

Included as a top pick in bimonthly April New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

“𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢; 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙞𝙣, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮. 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙡.“
__

This was my first Rebecca Ross book and it won’t be my last. While I had some trouble getting into this story, once I did I was thoroughly engaged. The world building was really beautiful and poetic. I loved the letters between Iris and Roman and how it allowed them to come to know each other without their rivalry between them. I also really appreciated all of the lovely friendships in this story. Overall, a satisfying read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

Two rival journalists are vying for the spot of columnist. Iris, down on her luck, sees this position as a way to make ends meet as her mother deals with her own demons and her brother is off to war. Roman, born into life of privilege, wishes to make his father proud. But when one day a letter appears in Roman’s room, presumably from Iris, he writes back as an alter-ego and they begin to converse regularly.

This story is truly breathtaking as it weaves into it so many serious subjects. From war to loss to substance abuse, the writing conveys these topics with a delicate yet raw touch. The main characters are well-developed and the story is well-paced. Frankly, I’m shocked I read it as fast as I did!

I thought that the ending was a bit rushed — and left a lot to be desired as it set up the next book in the series. Despite that, I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book kept up a wicked pace throughout the novel, as should be evident that I started it on a Monday and finished the book on a Wednesday. It was rather impressive how Ross was able to maintain a rather breakneck pace in the story, but also build out the character's personality even as they shifted through incredibly emotional and life changing experiences.

From the onset, the rivalry from Roman and Iris is witty and ultimately is what keeps you reading. There is a LOT of truly saddening situations in Iris' life and yet someone the reader doesn't get as bogged down through those scenes. However, Iris can be a trouble protagonist at times. Through the snippets of her writing she is incredibly logical while balancing an emotional effect in the reader; but then she is a bit to reluctant to see Roman as anything more than a two dimensional rival in her life. It was incredibly satisfying to prove that her love interest was consistent in his actions despite the character arc he embarks on.

Overall, the biggest request for the story was to slow down the pacing for a few chapters in particular so the reader can experience more joy than just the sadness, fear, depression of the narrative. Additionally, there were about three to four different typos across the chapters that need editing.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is the first book in her new Historical fantasy romance, Iris at the Front series. I am a big fan of Rebecca Ross, as I have read and loved her previous books. We meet Iris Winnow, our heroine, at the start, when she watches her brother leave to fight in the gods' war, with a promise to write to her. The setting of this story had the feel of WW1. Iris, who is 18 years old, becomes a reporter for the Oath Gazette, with a possible promotion, knowing her competition is her rival, Roman Kitt. Both of them started out as not liking each other, with both trying to best each other’s columns to have a chance at the promotion. Iris started sending out letters to her brother, who never responded.

In this slight element of fantasy, her letters are mysteriously magically rerouted to Roman, as both had a special magic typewriter. Neither one knew who was sending or receiving these letters, with both using different names; in a short time, their feelings for each other will change. Through the letters, both Iris and Kit start falling in love, though she still thinks she is in love with Carver (his middle name).

After Iris’s mother dies, and the war of the gods escalates, she quits her job at Oath Gazette and becomes a war correspondent, leading her into the dangers of war, including the front lines. Worried about Iris, Kit decides he needs to join her, help protect her during this war of the gods.

This was a very emotional and heart-wrenching story, but most importantly was the amazing romance between Iris and Kit; they were so great together. I loved Iris, as she was a strong and independent heroine, who was always ready to help others in need. Kit was also very good, especially when he realized he was falling in love with Iris, and gave up everything to join her as a war correspondent; his love for Iris was so beautiful.

Divine Rivals was a story filled with grief, tragedy, death, with humans fighting in the midst of this horrible war; a war started with two gods, Enva and Dacre, who were enemies. Divine Rivals was well written by Rebecca Ross, that was heart wrenching, with so much heartbreak, horrors; but the wonderful sweeping love story between Iris and Roman was fantastic. I will say that the ending was a surprise and somewhat mixed. I am happy that Ross will have more books in this series.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

At 75% done, I started feeling this horrible sense of foreboding and just couldn't shake it. Now I'm left dangling from this horrible cliff for almost a year (if the expected publication date of book 2 is correct). Wish me luck sleeping tonight, as I cannot get over the ending. That said, I am awarding this book 5 stars with the hope that the sequel doesn't disappoint me.

I love, love, love the whole idea of this book. Think You've Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner + magical typewriters + rival reporters + rival gods + WWI/WWII vibes + a missing brother, and you've got this book. You've Got Mail is one of my favorite romantic comedies ever, so I knew I'd like Divine Rivals when I discovered it had a similar feeling. Iris (18) and Roman (19) are absolutely wonderful together. I love how they challenge each other and then soften each other. Attie is another character I liked right away--she was feisty.

Previous to this book, I had listened to Queen's Rising duology, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, this series outshines that one (at least so far--I'm holding out hope here, so please don't let me down). Her writing flows very well, and the dialogue comes across naturally. I could vividly see what was happening and feel what the characters experienced.

The second book cannot come into my hands quickly enough. If I like it as much as this one (more, because it had better end well), then I will definitely be purchasing this series.

Note: Minimal swearing. One mild sex scene between a married couple. Two supporting LGBT characters.