I really enjoyed this book! This is such a great blend of fantasy and historical fiction. I loved Iris and Roman and the way their relationship unfolds. Unlike many rivals-to-lovers that I’ve read, theirs follows a believable course. In a very “You’ve Got Mail” twist, they write magical letters to each other while simultaneously competing for the same columnist position at a newspaper. Their characters were complex and so life like. I also really loved the themes of grief and guilt that were woven into the story without feeling forced or unnatural.

I found the beginning of the novel a bit slow and the world building a bit lacking. The Gods have returned and are warring and not very much of it is even discussed until later on. I think this will be a larger focus in the next book, but I wish more of it had been explored! I am really looking forward to learning more and to seeing what happened to Iris and Roman.

I am BEGGING Rebecca to let these characters have a happy because I don’t know if I can handle it if they don’t!!

Bottom line: If Rebecca Ross writes it, I will read it.

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and Wednesday Books for review. All thoughts are my own. Thank you for the opportunity! *

I absolutely LOVED this book, and it has quickly become one of my favorites that I have read so far this year! I jumped on the opportunity to read this one, as I absolutely adore Rebecca Ross and all of her books. This book kept me totally enthralled from start to finish. There was magic, great worldbuilding, action, adventure, a truly epic love story, and characters that I grew very attached to. This story totally gave me WWI vibes and I was here for it! So heartbreakingly beautiful!

Iris Winnow is trying desperately to keep her family together. Her brother is on the frontline of a war where he is forced to fight on behalf of the gods, and he is now missing in action. He hasn’t answered any of her letters. Her mother is drowning herself in her sorrows. Iris feels that her best bet to help her family is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands, that of her handsome but cold competitor at the paper, Roman Kitt. However, an unlikely magical connection forms between them.

Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters traveling along with them, can their bond withstand the fate of mankind, and more importantly, love?

I thought the competition between Iris and Kitt was wonderful! It was so fun to read the banter between them. Iris comes from a rather modest background, and the position at the paper could be life changing for her. Kitt on the other hand comes from a wealthy family, but he has a rather controlling father who so desperately wants to fit in with high society, that he doesn’t let his son make any decisions for himself. Kitt is trying to get the position at the paper more because of familial expectations, rather than his own desires. Kitt feels like he’s completely trapped, and he also mourns the death of his sister.

When Iris and Kitt find themselves in the middle of the war effort, things really take an interesting turn!

Just an FYI, 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

The ending of this one killed me, and I can’t wait for book two! Can I have it now, please? 😉 Available April 4, 2023, I hope that you will consider reading this one. Highly recommend!

4.75 stars

Iris' brother leaves for war, and her mother quickly falls to alcohol to cope. Iris begins writing letters to her brother on her typewriter, and they disappear from her wardrobe after she slides them under the door. Iris has never received a response until one day a letter appears on her floor... but it's not her brother.
Roman Kitt works at the Gazette with Iris, and the two are vying for the esteemed columnist position, constantly negging each other and competing for the best assignments. Roman hasn't told Iris he has been receiving her letters... and at this point, he doesn't know how to.

Divine Rivals is a sweeping, magical epistolary novel that is perfect if you want to dip your toe into fantasy. This is a historical fiction romance first and foremost, and Ross writes a beautiful story with characters you love and can't help but root for as they find their place in the world and the war. I quite literally read this entire book in a day, I had to know where Iris and Roman's story was going to go. After the ending, I am BEGGING for the next book. I know I can trust Rebecca Ross to pick up the pieces of my heart and stitch them back together.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review- thank you Macmillan and NetGalley!

4.75/5

When Iris Winnow's brother leaves to fight in a war between gods, her life gets turned upside down. Her mother begins drinking, and she has to drop out of school to help pay the bills. The one bright spot in her life is her job at her local paper, where she is working to become a columnist. Her competition for the job is Roman Kitt, a rich and handsome rival who never misses an opportunity to antagonize her. The letters she's writing to her brother are mysteriously disappearing from her wardrobe, and she chalks it up to the magic laying mostly dormant within the city. Little does she know that her letters are being sent to Roman, who finally decides to write her back.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I could not put it down. Rebecca Ross is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me, as I had a similar experience with A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless. This story is absolutely beautiful, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

To begin with things I liked:
-The writing. Rebecca Ross' style is lyrical without feeling lofty. The way she writes all emotions- grief, love, disappointment, joy- is so relatable and raw. All of her characters come alive in the most believable and lovely way. Her talent cannot be overstated.
-The dual POV was an excellent choice. I honestly looked forward to Roman's chapters more than I did Iris'.
-The story is unique while still feeling familiar. I'm really looking forward to exploring more of the gods and their role in the world. I hope we get a little more world building.
-The relationship development between Iris and Roman was so, so sweet. I found myself giggling like a teenager at some parts. Ross captured young, deep love perfectly.
-The enchanted letter writing was also very cute. Watching them fall in love with each other over enchanted mail, all while Iris had no idea who her mystery correspondent was, was very fun. I especially liked Roman's POVs during this time, I always like a story where the man falls first.

Things I didn't like so much:
-The ending felt a little rushed. I enjoyed the slower pace of most of the book, so it was jarring when everything happened at the end.
-This one is a me problem: I didn't know this was the start of a series, I thought it was a standalone. I was very confused when the book ended on a cliff hanger- so be ready for that!
-I wish Iris and Roman were aged up a little. 18 and 19 felt very very young to me, I think aging them up even just a couple years would have been good for the story overall. Roman especially felt older than 19. However, some of Iris' rash/confusing decisions did make more sense in this context- she's just a kid with a lot of trauma.

Overall, EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and joyful and sweet. I will be very anxiously waiting for the next installment.

This had all the makings of an epic story. A world infused by magic from sleeping Gods that have now awakened to war against each other and to wreak destruction on mortals. Two journalists who progress from rivals to lovers as they uncover the truth about the Gods and their war.

Instead, the lore and world building were very minimal, so much so that it felt as if they were a shaky prop to hold up the story’s central romance. But unfortunately there too, Iris, Roman, and the secondary characters didn’t feel fleshed out enough for me to be emotionally invested, though at times the writing would have a moment and make it feel like that was possible. The writing style in general is very straightforward, which makes for a quick read, but the prose could have benefitted from being more lush in order to better convey what I believe was supposed to be an enchantingly romantic yet dark world.

Thank you to St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book WRECKED ME. Divine rivals has to be one of the best YA fantasy books I've read in a long time. I can't even begin to describe how much this book made me feel. It was a roller coaster of emotions.

Divine Rivals is atmospheric, it's romantic, it's sweet, it's painful, it's so full of love and sadness. It is such a beautiful and touching story that is impossible to forget. Iris, Roman, Attie and Marisol are impossible to forget.

Iris and Roman are such strong and brave characters. Their love story was beautiful. Seeing how they gradually fell in love over time was incredible.

Also, if you like romance as much as I do this book has:

- Rivals to lovers
- He falls first
- THERE IS ONLY ONE SEAT
- so much banter 😩
-Slow burn
- "Why did you take the wounds that should have been mine?"

I love a good love story and this is one of the best I've ever read. Divine Rivals is the author's first book that I read but I need more of her.

Divine Rivals surprised me from the first chapter! I really loved the writing and characters, the angst and pining in the beginning. I was hooked.

The characters and emotion were so strong and I was sad to lose some of what I was loving in the middle of this. The trajectory of the story changed and the story started to feel a little flat for me though the middle portion of this. It felt like something was missing that would have really elevated this for me.

I am still very intrigued to see where the next book goes. The ending wasn't my favorite but it left a good amount of intrigue for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

It's hard to put into words the way this book made me feel, but its similar to the feeling of coming home after being away for too long. It was a gorgeous story full of beautiful prose, a sweet romance between relatable characters, and an interesting magic/religious system. The idea of magic typewriters was so interesting and unique, and Ross is an expert storyteller. I wasn't as hooked as I was for Ross's other books, but it was still a beautiful story and I've already pre ordered the hard copy!

I swear if I had started this on a Friday instead of a Thursday, this would’ve been a one sitting read. I was drawn into the characters and setting think World War I with gods, and then a fantastic cast of characters. The two main characters rivals to lovers was so enthralling. My only complaint is it ends on a cliffhanger, and I don’t know when the next book comes out how long do I have to wait to find out what happens, I cannot wait for the next book. I recommend reading it but be prepared for that frustration.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

I'm a big Rebecca Ross fan - her previous YA Fantasy books have been hits for me, and I really enjoyed this one! This focuses on our main characters, Iris and Roman as they are competing journalists in the same company vying for the same job. They come from very different worlds, where Iris is struggling with a brother at war and a mother in the throws of addiction, while Roman is from a well-off family looking at an arranged marriage. They find a connection through magical typewriters, where only Roman knows her identity. The war is two old rival Gods who have awoken and are calling civilians to pick sides and fight for them.

Iris decides to go to the front lines of the war to try and find her brother and report on the war. When Roman reads her articles he follows her there - and eventually through war and worst-case scenarios, they fall in love. But, it is short lived as the war encloses on their town. I loved the characters and the story was well paced and exciting. The ending was gut-wrenching and I cannot wait to see what happens next - I need to read the next one asap!

Rebecca Ross once again proves herself as my favorite author with Divine Rivals, the first in a new YA historical fantasy series. In a world inspired by WWI Europe, two gods have woken from a long slumber and are luring young men and women to fight in a celestial war they don’t even understand. After her brother enlists, Iris Winnow writes him letters to ease her mind, slipping them under a door where they vanish and end up in the hands of an anonymous stranger who begins to write her back. In a charming, You’ve Got Mail twist, Iris unwittingly forms a magical connection with her handsome and infuriating work rival, Roman Kitt. After a devastating series of events, Iris sets off to the front lines of the war in search of her brother and with the hope of uncovering the truth about why the gods are at war.

While I’ll admit that this book had a bit of a slow start, as soon as I hit Part II, I was utterly captivated. Ross has a lyrical writing style that never fails to enchant me. The addition of epistolary elements into this story was delightful. The letters and articles were woven perfectly into the narrative and added to the immersive atmosphere of the story.

The mythological aspects of the world and plot were very intriguing and kept me flipping pages to learn more. The stories of the gods are revealed slowly throughout the book and I was really invested in figuring out why they were at war. I loved that Ross pulled from various myths and blended them together into her own new tale for readers to discover along with Iris and I can’t wait to find out even more in the sequel.

I am in awe of the way that Rebecca Ross writes romance and Iris and Roman are no exception. Their story is the perfect combination of yearning and friendship. I was routing for them from page one and loved the pacing and progression that their relationship had. While there is one “spicy” scene that would classify this book as more upper YA, Ross depicted it in such a delicate and tasteful way that I really appreciate in a book targeted at younger readers.

Divine Rivals is simply sublime. A romance so tender and pure it makes my heart ache. An ending I’ll never recover from. This book is one I’ll be recommending over and over again.

You really going to leave me off like that??!! I need book 2 NOW!

This book is beautifully designed in 3 parts that feel so different. An enemies to lovers with magical/fantasy elements, yet feels very real and takes place during a time of war.

From the get go, Iris and Roman’s connection is obvious and doesn’t feel forced. They have a great journey of discovery of themselves and each other and I love it! Can I have a magic typewriter and wardrobe please?

I love that this story takes us from typical day to day life and also brings Iris and Roman to the front lines of war. The first 2 parts set up part 3 perfectly! We could’ve seen a little more world building at the start based on how this story ends, however by the time you get to the end that CLIFFHANGER is all you can think about!!

I’m so glad this has been my first Rebecca Ross read!

But can I give it more stars? Hands down my favorite Rebecca book to date and I gave her last three five stars. I loved every minute and every choice she made throughout. The world-building, romance, attention to detail, and twists come together in a completely breathtaking way. I am so excited to see where book two takes us!
I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. While the cover is something special, it doesn't bring to mind anything my imagination could conjure for preconceived notions. When meeting the main characters, their banter and rivalry leapt off the page in a cozy historical setting with a magical realism flair. Iris's letters to her brother mysteriously disappear and, after several sent notes, she begins to receive returned messages from an unknown individual. Ultimately though, Iris's need to find her brother supersedes her career aspirations and interest in continuing the letter exchange with her mysterious pen pal.
This is one of those books that I loved so immediately and thoroughly that I had to pre-order the physical copy even though I wasn't quite finished. The narration by Rebecca Norfolk and Alex Wingfield is perfection. I loved everything about it and highly recommend this format along with buying the book itself because why not own multiple formats for what will surely be a favorite for the year?
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the alc and Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

TW: War, familial death, alcoholism, grief, blood, gore

Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals is the story of two rival journalists competing for the same position but then morphs into a story of love, self discovery, and found family. Iris Winnow is the not so well off girl who's had to drop out of school to help support her mother and herself after he brother has gone off to fight in a war between two gods. She's an excellent writer and is in competition with Roman Kitt for a columnist position at a highly regarded paper in her town. Roman is a well to do man who is feeling the pressure of being his father's heir. His whole life has been mapped out for him and he's still grieving over his sister who drowned under Roman's supervision. Roman and Iris have great banter but it's easy to see there is a deeper connection between them. This story really takes the reader on an emotional ride through everything from loss and grief to love and peace.

The characters of Iris and Roman were great, it was easy to identify with both of them and I thought the side characters of Attie and Marisol were fleshed out just enough. The pacing was good. It started a bit slow for me but at about 20% I really didn't want to put it down. The letters between characters were written so beautifully and with so much emotion that I cried several times! Though this story is set in the 1800s but it's not the 1800s we knew. There's gods on Earth and they are fighting amongst each other in a literal war and there's some magic typewriters thrown in for good measure too. Sounds crazy but it all meshes well together when you read it.

The only gripe I do have is the ending. The whole book was very emotional and really dug into your guts with feeling but then the end comes out of nowhere and it was like a literal bucket of ice water poured over your head. I feel like the author wanted to set up the sequel so bad and didn't really take the time set up as well as she had everything else in the book. This ends on a MAJOR cliffhanger and I'm very distraught for our characters, I'll definitely be reading the next one!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

A wonderfully unique and romantic low fantasy for fans of Joanna Hathaway and Lauren Weymouth. One of my favorite and sadly underused genres is this form of low fantasy, with elements that feel like historical fiction but in a history that isn't ours. Divine Rivals uses this to explore grief, guilt, and war while also providing a slow-burn romance that feels earned. In addition, the writing itself is lovely, evocative, and voicey in the sense that the characters felt genuine, and their words true to them. This genuinely stands out in the crowded YA fantasy market, and is well worth a read. My only complaint would be a slow start, but once it is pushed through the book becomes something very special.

Thank you NetGalley & Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Great War by Taylor Swift is this book’s theme song. My heart hurts. This was an incredibly sweet and heartbreaking fantasy romance (super light fantasy) with rivals to lovers, found family, and pen pals but they don’t know it’s each other. I only took one star off because it’s written in 3rd person, which I personally struggle with, and it moved pretty slow off and on. Other than that, this was a great read and the ending had me audibly saying “WHAT.” So I’ll be here slowly dying until book 2 comes out.

I'm never going to shut up about this book. I LOVED this - couldn't put it down or stop thinking about it loved this book from basically page one.

Everything from the vaguely fantastic background to the very real World War I-esque setting was very much my shit. I mean...magical typewriters that send letters between the two main characters where one character doesn't know the other is their rival from the newspaper where they are battling to be full-time columnists? Perfection

Iris and Roman dual narrate this book and the two of them are just completely magic on the page whether they are exchanging letters or exchanging barbed insults. I adored both of them and felt for them so much as they endured various struggles and tragedies that brought them closer together.

Although the war this book takes place during is between two Gods (or a God and Goddess), the stakes are very familiar and I loved how the book focuses very much on the realistic impacts that war has on the very people forced to fight and deal with the consequences. This book is a fantasy but the impact of magic and monsters feels very remote until the very end. The character work and the romance is at the forefront of this absolutely stunning book I cannot stop thinking about. The ending of the book makes me think that the next book might have more of a focus on the fantastical elements of the world-building, but I am just absolutely on pins and needles waiting to spend more time with Iris and Roman.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Divine Rivals

Five Stars
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I found this book very interesting and unique.
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This is basically a fantasy You Got Mail in this enemies-to-lovers romance.
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We enter in the middle of our main characters competing to become a columnist for a prestigious newspaper.
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There is also a war going on but there’s some disbelief on the part of the human population that they are fighting monsters unleashed by a particular god. Because this war is really between the gods. Two gods specifically, and mortals are paying the price.
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The story unfolds as the characters learn new information about what is really going on. There are beautiful moments and tragic ones throughout, but I loved every monstrous moment. Looking forward to book two!
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Thanks to St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an e-book in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

I’ve read a few Rebecca Ross’ books in the last few months, and I love how her writing just feels like a beautiful melody written just for me. Divine Rivals is no different. Full of rich characters and a plot that feels so unique, you won’t want to miss this one.

I very much enjoyed the main character Iris. She dealt with tragedy after tragedy and she kept getting up and kept going while also bearing the mental weight of all that she was dealing with which I think is relatable. The relationship between her and the male character was really sweet, a nice enemies to lovers trope. The magical elements weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked. There was some backstory on why the war started but it seemed it was more of a backdrop for the romance between Iris and Kitt. It is marketed as a fantasy historical fiction book but it wasn’t disclosed where the story was taking place and the war is obviously fictional. However, I loved the story and the writing. A really great book,