This was an epic historical fantasy story of war, heartbreak, redemption, and love. The writing was beautiful and so descriptive. Right from the Prologue you are brought into this world and feel as if you’re the one standing at the train depot in tears at the thought of loosing your loved one. It was easy to get lost in this story because the world building was phenomenal. The love story was so beautiful and heartbreaking and the cliffhanger at the end was pure anguish. I adored Iris and her character growth was so well done. I loved watching her open her heart and take a chance on love. Kitt has been through so much in his life and to watch him risk everything for love was beautiful. He has by far become one of my favorite leading male characters. I can not wait for book 2 and I would love to see this book made into a movie or series some day!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book.

Released today! This book was so lovely. I am not sure how Ross did it but she managed to mix the perfect amount of fantasy, romance and historical fiction to create this glorious cocktail of a book. I am so excited that this series will continue now just to wait for the next installment.

Thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to review this arc.

I loved this book. It has so much of what I enjoy in a story, and I need the second book right now!

Rivals Iris and Roman are trying to earn a coveted position as a columnist for a newspaper. But Iris is having a really rough time. Her brother has gone off to war (a war between two gods) and she hasn't heard from him. Her mother has become a heavy drinker and has lost her job. This columnist position is important to her personally as well as financially. Roman seems to have it all together, but his overbearing father wants to be in complete control over Roman's life. The war they're writing about seems far away, but it becomes more real and immediate for both of them as the story goes on.

Iris has a typewriter given to her by her grandmother. She uses it to type letters to her brother, and by putting them in a slot in her wardrobe (where they seem to disappear), she is hoping her brother has been receiving them. But then she gets a response--and it's not from her brother. She begins a written correspondence with whoever is on the other end.

If you like You've Got Mail or The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, this book has similar vibes. Both Iris and Roman are fleshed out characters that I truly cared for as I read their stories. I found this an emotionally gripping book, and I cried during part of it. Highly recommend, and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

This wasn’t the book I thought it was going to be. But I enjoyed it all the same.

I will start off by saying, with all the talk about a war of the Gods', I thought there would be more fantasy. But in reality, this book is very light on fantasy, heavy on wartime efforts and the love story. Essentially, it leans far more toward historical fiction than it does fantasy.

Iris and Roman were solid characters, who were both realistic for the time period and their ages. Their banter, especially while they were still competing at the newspaper, was also quite fun. They each had their own struggles and traumas to overcome, but as was acknowledged in the book they were infinitely better together. Roman literally went to a warzone for her. He put himself between her and a grenade. If that ain't love I don't know what is.

They went through so much together, facing the horrors of war and just trying to stay alive, and I was so happy when they were happy together. Then I looked down and realized I still had a third of the book left. So I knew, I knew things were going to hit the fan.

And of course, they did. I am upset. Like how dare? I honestly don't know if I forgot or just never knew this was going to be a series or what but I was not prepared for the cliffhanger. Regardless, if these precious kids don't end happily together by the end of all of this I will be very displeased.

Finally!! A 5-star read, my first of 2023. WOW - I absolutely adored this book.

After reading A River Enchanted (4⭐️) and A Fire Endless (4.5⭐️) last year, I knew I had to get my hands on Ross’ latest. And it blew me away! The premise is unique; it combines fantasy, romance, and war fiction seamlessly and beautifully; and the writing is truly to die for.

And I loved these characters! FMC, Iris, and MMC, Roman = *chef’s kiss* Their romance was so much fun, but the rest of the story stood on its own without it, and I loved that. Magical typewriters. A war of the gods. A little angst, a lot of action. Seriously, what’s not to love?

I hated putting this book down. All I wanted to do was read this story and immerse myself in its world. The cliffhanger ending has me hoping the next book in this series comes sooner rather than later. I can’t wait!!

I am officially a Rebecca Ross stan. READ. THIS. BOOK!

Divine Rivals is a young adult fantasy novel about two young reporters trying to follow their dreams when their world is on the cusp of war.

Iris Winnow is nineteen when her brother Forest abruptly leaves for the war front. An ancient goddess (Enva) is starting to “call” young men and women to help push back the forces of her enemy (Dacre) as he begins to terrorize the land searching for her. In Forest’s absence Iris has no choice but to quit school and accept a position at a local newspaper where she quickly engages in a workplace rivalry with handsome Roman Kitt. During the day sparks fly between the two reporters and at night Iris writes long letters to her brother shoving them into a wardrobe while she waits for word on how to reach him. But someone, somewhere is answering her letters and it’s not Forest. The letters will be a bright spot in the middle of some of her darkest days as Iris is forced to face her insecurities, loss, love and war.

Divine Rivals is a truly unique novel in young adult fantasy. I loved the workplace banter between Iris and Roman and the realistic WW1-like details of the battles waging in their world. Both characters felt real and whole without a lot of cliches. I found myself smiling, laughing and getting emotional as the chapters flew by. Readers will find this a hard book to put down and eager for a sequel.

I highly recommend this smart, imaginative and romantic new young adult fantasy for readers of all ages.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a YA Romance with some Fantasy elements. Romance is totally out of my comfort zone so thankfully there’s a subplot about two Gods who go to war. Iris Winnow and Roman C. Kitt are both writers at The Oath Gazette who are competing for the same promotion. Iris starts writing letters to her older brother, Forest, a soldier who is away at war. She types the letters on an enchanted typewriter, slips them into her wardrobe and they disappear. The letters reappear on Roman’s bedroom floor from his wardrobe. They become secret pen pals as Iris is unaware that her rival at the newspaper is the author of the returning letters. Roman decides to out himself as the author but uses his middle initial, C., and eventually his middle name, Carver, in reply to Iris’s letters. This unique tale takes these pen pals down to the trenches of war. This is the first book of the Letters of Enchantment duology and after its’ cliffhanger, you’ll be looking forward to book two. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, 368 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2023. $19.
Language: PG (7 swears, 0 “f” + British swears); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Competing for a job to afford the electric bill her mother won’t pay, Iris comforts herself by writing letters to her MIA brother fighting in the war somewhere. But someone else is getting them. Meanwhile, the warfront is getting closer.
Magic typewriters, mythology that interferes with mortal lives, enemies-to-lovers, and the horrors of WWI-style trench warfare and chemical weapons – what a combination! Ross put surprises around every corner, and I was pleased by all of them – except for the ending that snuck up on me. I am furious that I have to wait for the sequel to see how Iris survives her tragedies but also secretly glad that her story isn’t over yet. I am not ready to leave Iris and her world behind.
Iris and her brother are implied White, and Attie and Marisol are described as having “brown” skin. There is also a prominent LGBTQIA character. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, and sex. The violence rating is for war content that include gun, bomb, and grenade use as well as the resulting blood, gore, and death.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for this eARC to review.

5/5 stars!

This was such a beautiful, poignant, and soul-wrenching read.
There was SO MUCH PAIN for Iris at the beginning of the story, and she just seemed to be getting hit with blow after blow. :( She endured so much, and remained so strong while also showing the reader times of vulnerability, whether they were in private or with Roman. I absolutely loved their rivals to lovers ARC, and the story/magic behind the typewriters was FANTASTIC. I looked forward to each letter with baited breath, and LOVED that we got to see that Roman knew it was Iris the whole time, but wasn't sure how to break it to Iris. I love that we got immersed into the war and got some detailed history about the gods, but that Iris and Roman's love/personal journeys were the main focus, leaving the war of the gods to really come to a head in the sequel. Ross also really has a knack for giving the perfect amount of layers and depth to all of the side characters, so that no matter how little part they play in the story, you get so emotionally attached to them! This is definitely one of my top reads of the year, and I'll be counting down until the sequel!

After devouring the Elements of Cadence duology earlier this year, I knew I definitely needed more Rebecca Ross in my life! Divine Rivals is the first in the Letters of Enhancement series. Iris Winnow is eighteen years old and doing her best to hold her family together. Her brother is on the frontlines of a war between the Gods, and her mother is drowning her sorrows in alcohol. She dreams of winning a coveted promotion at the paper she works for as a columnist. An unlikely magical connection forms when the letters she writes to her brother on the frontlines fall into the hands of her rival at the paper, Roman Kitt. Finding herself nearer to the war, their unlikely bond is tested in more ways than one.

It took me a little bit to get into this story, but not too long at all. It definitely is more on the historical fiction side, which was a nice change of pace for me. It is a dual POV story told from both Iris and Roman’s perspective. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story and got a lot out of their very different perspectives. Iris has been dealt a fairly tough life and finds herself up against many obstacles, whereas Roman, is upper class and has had many of his opportunities handed to him.

Divine Rivals really unpacks some of the horrors of war with a pinch of magic and mythology tied in. I found the mysteries and myths tied into the story really interesting. I also loved that music is woven into the story, adding some extra enchantment. The story was so well paced and I basically binged this in one sitting this past weekend. The ending had me in a chokehold and I am desperately awaiting the next installment!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun story to follow! I enjoyed the characters, the world, and the plot. It kept my attention from beginning to end. I definitely felt myself become more immersed and curious about the story the more I kept reading.

Iris and Kit were wonderful characters to follow along to. I loved the idea do the typewriters and how they can send letters back and forth to each other. It reminded me of an email, but in a way cooler way!

Overall, the story is good so far. It developed at a good pace and keeps you wondering what’s next. I’m super excited to see where it goes from here!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Rebecca Ross is, in my humble opinion, criminally underrated. Her works are woven with such character development, rich storytelling, and wonderful writing that I often find myself consuming her books in one or two sittings and not even knowing where the time has gone.

Iris and Roman capture such a wonderful dynamic and truly feel like RIVALS not just apathetic beings who eventually catch feelings. There is competition. There's drive. Their romance is just as important as their personal goals and it shows in every action. They compliment each other as characters so well and in a way I feel is rarely done with such perfection.

I feel it's a crime to spoil the plot in any capacity. The way this story unfolds against a war-time backdrop makes these characters feel like splashes of colourful paint against a sepia photo. There is something cozy about it, like stepping through time. It's utterly enchanting, all while told over a simple newpaper that becomes so, so much more.

Rebecca Ross is an author to keep an eye on, and Divine Rivals is a strong contender for my top ten YA books of all time. Five stars, without a doubt.

4.5 stars
I… do not know how to review this book. I feel like I shouldn’t have liked it… but I really, really did!
I am pretty particular on the types of books I enjoy. For a fantasy to work for me, it has to be pretty fast-paced and have a distinct, driven plot. This book was slooooow and I’m not sure there was a super cohesive plot, at least not one that I can distinctly pinpoint. And yet I was so invested in this book. It took me a while to read, compared to how long a book this length usually would, <i>but</i> I was never bored. I always wanted to keep reading.
The romance, similarly, felt like it shouldn’t work, but it did. I felt like there shouldn’t have been enough time and on page interactions between the characters to make their emotions convincing and natural, and yet I was fully convinced. I was so swept up in their banter, swooning right alongside Iris when the vibes between them turned romantic.
I honestly can’t pinpoint what it is that made this book work for me—because based on my usual tastes, it shouldn’t have—but I think it must have been something about the writing. The narration was a little flowery, but in a way I found beautiful to read, not purple. I also think that Rebecca Ross is a master of emotions. The emotions in this book captivated me. I felt everything that Iris and Roman felt, and I think that was the driving force in this book, what kept me engaged. That’s not to say this is an overly emotional book. It’s not traumatizing to the reader; it never felt like events were happening just to evoke emotions in you. This book takes place during a war, so of course hard things happen, the characters undergo trauma and experience heartwrenching things, but it always felt true to the story and the world, and it always felt like it was handled tastefully, not exploited.
This book was just really good. I want to read more by Ross, and I’m kind of heartbroken that I have to wait an entire year to read more about Iris and Roman.

I had so many emotions while reading this, it is hard to put into words for a review. I really can't express how much I loved this book, I knew I would like it but it really blew me away. It was the fastest book I had read in a while and I annotated so much which I also haven't done in a while. The story and characters were so well done. Iris and Roman felt so real. Their rivalry and then romance was so well done. I'm smiling while I type this because I just enjoyed their story so much. Rebecca Ross is definitely an auto-buy author for me now. Anyway the characters banter was hilarious and adorable. The magical world going through a war that felt very much like reading about WWI was so real. The magical typewriters was so cool, I wish they were real. Everything was just so fleshed out and done so well. I'm in awe. I'm in awe, I just love Divine Rivals so much. I feel like starting it over even though I finished it last night.

It's well-written and unique, and her writing style flows beautifully, a tale of magic with a story of war, that will keep you on the edge of your seat...Enemies to lovers romance, swoon-worthy.

thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

writers and gods. absolutely gorgeous and hopeful and generous writing, though i wish that roman's perspective had kept up in the back half. i loved it all the same, i cannot wait to read the next one

4.5 stars

Divine Rivals is a historical fantasy with a rivals to lovers romance between two journalists Iris Winnow and Roman C. Kitt. Iris' life changes when her brother goes to fight in the war that is brewing between a God and a Goddess. She then discovers that her typewriter is a magical typewriter and she is sending letters to another person, who ultimately is her rival Roman Kitt. This is a story about love, loss, war and magic.

This is the second book I have read by Rebecca Ross and I love her writing. This book is beautifully written and I really enjoyed it. I liked how the world building wasn't dumped on us in the beginning and we find more about the God and the Goddess throughout the book. I also really enjoyed the evolution of Iris' and Roman's relationship. I really enjoy the way Rebecca Ross writes romance and the way she just describes everything. Also the cliffhanger at the end. I need the second book! This a perfect book for anyone who enjoys a good magical fantasy with romance.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this arc!

Thank you publisher and Netgalley for the arc.

Divine Rivals is my first book by Rebecca Ross. Having seen the hype surrounding her books, I went in with certain expectations and came out agreeing with people on her books being fast- paced and her writing smooth. Finished in a single day and never once stalled on any point. With the characters being writers themselves, it showcased the love and appreciation for writing impeccably.

My major problem was the false advertisement. It's labelled 'enemies to lovers' in the synopsis and it's FAR from that. The better term would be rivals to lovers because they're fighting for the position of columnist, but even that lasts for a total of 10%. The minute they start exchanging letters, which is pretty early on, it stops there. Roman knows it's her from the jump while Iris is completely unaware her letters are being impercepted to Roman. She is pouring her heart out in the letters and he still acts like a jerk to her next day and keeps fighting his feelings for her. If you count that as enemies to lovers, then you'll be delighted. Me, I felt like I got scammed. I was never sold on Roman. He got better by the end but something just did not click. All that said, the romance was sweet and the letters were heart-warming. Wars are a tried and true setup for a bittersweet love story and bringing characters of all background together. The world building may have been non- existent but in the big picture, it didn't matter that much.

This book was everything I wanted and more.

First, Rebecca Ross is so good at creating worlds that feel authentic and lived in. I love how she mixed a WW1-type atmosphere with an intriguing mythology for her historical fantasy setting. Everything felt very cinematic, and her descriptions of both their lives in the city and their time at the front lines of the war are achingly familiar.

Iris and Roman's love story is so deeply romantic, and the rivals to lovers trope has a very satisfying development. The back and forth letter writing added such a fun element to their relationship, and I love that there is a little bit of magic involved.

Overall, this is just a beautiful story, dealing with war, love, family and so much more. The ending leaves you a little gutted, but that just means Book 2 is going to be even more amazing!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Age Level: Upper Young Adult
Content: war violence, one mild open-door scene

“I rarely share this part of my life with others, but I want to tell it to you now. A piece of armor, because I trust you. A glint of falling steel, because I feel safe with you.”

Divine Rivals is set in a world where centuries old gods have reawakened and are at a proxy war - by enthralling men to fight for them. Iris's brother is one such man and we open with him leaving to go join the fight. In present time, she's a reporter with a workplace rival Roman who are both fighting for a columnist position. She's still recieved no word from her brother and in a fit of desperation starts writing letters to him that she tucks into her closet.

In a form of rare magic, these letters are in fact sent out. Not to her brother, but to Roman who falls for her alongside her writing. When he starts writing back, they get closer and closer. But with the radio silence from her brother making her more antsy - she knows she must find the truth for herself, even at the risk of going to the front lines of the war itself.

I MEAN - MAGICALLY TYPEWRITERS? Cmon I'm obsessed. Don't be fooled by the rivals to lovers - roman is the world's biggest simp, he would truly die for Iris and I love to see it. I loved how this was set to the backdrop of the horrors of war - which Ross does not shy away from. While this is a fantasy book - it falls more heavily on the historical fiction atmosphere and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it.

The characters really make this story come alive and the atmosphere is such a good blend between love and the realities of war, it gives hardcore captain america vibes! The cliffhanger had me screaming - I need book 2 ASAP.

rep// side wlw

cw// death, alcoholism, PTSD, war, violence,

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.