This is probably one of my favorite books of the year so far. I stepped into Rebecca Ross’ world not expecting anything and just coming along for the ride and it was probably one of the best decisions i’ve made! First of all, I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers and this is probably one of the best I’ve seen! She struck a perfect balance of having a slow burn while also remaining grounded to the setting of the story and moving the main relationship along. Every moment feels true to the characters and the world, every choice feels so grounded that I often felt on the edge of my seat to see what would happen. I am in awe of Ross’ writing and world building! She did such a great job of describing the way the cities feel like and how the war moves closer and closer in a creeping, crawling sort of way until it’s too close and too late to escape. I wish I could’ve had a map to place myself in the world but that’s honestly just me being nitpicky. I can’t wait to learn more about the gods too, I’m so curious about the lore and history of this world. Also, the end of the book absolutely broke me, I stared at the page in shock for minutes! 5/5!

Although I thought this was going to be more of a mythological reimagining than a romance novel, I still enjoyed this story. The "magic" system isn't well defined, but you see evidence of the remnants of the various god's powers from long ago, including in the typewriters of Iris and Roman. I thought the pacing of the story was good and there was enough worldbuilding for me to sense what it would be like to live in this world (not easy for anyone who was not in the top 1%). Still, I would have liked more of an explanation of the mythology (as far as I could tell, this was a mythology of the author's imagination). Once I gave up thinking of this more as an older Percy Jackson story, I enjoyed it for what it was. I liked the interplay between Iris and Roman and I liked that the written word helped build the bond between them. The side characters were good as well, and I hope they all play a part in the next book. The ending throws a twist that I was both expecting and not expecting, but it left us with a taste of what the next book will be about. Based on how it ends, I'm wondering if we'll finally get a better idea of what's going on with the two gods (although there were 5). While this is my first book by the author, I'm already looking forward to the next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blurb: An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eGalley of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Ross's Divine Rivals absolutely wrecked me, and I already want book two...right this second, not months from now.

Told from the perspective of Iris and Roman, rivals in competition for a position at a local newspaper, this story weaves magic, war, longing, loss, family, and love together into something I was not expecting when seeing the book compared to Shadow and Bone and Lore.

The writing is beautiful most of the time. There were a few times when phrases pulled me out of the story, but those moments were few and far between. Most of the time the writing is exceptionally descriptive, and I felt I was right there in Oath sitting with Iris by candlelight as she types letters to her brother and her mysterious responder or in the trenches reporting on the war.
The characters are well developed for a first book, and the supporting characters and the different settings add to rather than detract from the main plot.

The lore of the gods, Dacre and Enva, is slowly explained via letters and research, and the ending helps to further this lore as something presently happening rather than something mythic and distant. And the conclusion sets up well for the next book.

If you love enemies to lovers, fantasy, stories rooted in family and love, or simply want to try to branch out and read a new genre--Don't skip out on this book!!

I had a suspicion that Rebecca Ross was a new favorite author after reading and loving her Elements of Cadence duology last year. Divine Rivals proved that theory to be incredibly accurate. I adored this book from start to finish. Ross’s prose here is lovely without ever feeling purple, and is incredibly easy to sink into. The voice she gives her central character, and the beautiful writing found in the letters that make up much of the story, were both brilliantly done and charmed me completely.

Iris Winnow and Roman C. Kitt are fighting for the single columnist promotion up for grabs at the Oath Gazette. Eighteen year-old Iris is gifted and tenacious but under tremendous strain. Her brother, who had been fighting on the frontlines of a war between gods, is now missing in action. Their mother is drowning her sorrows and draining their scant funds, meaning that Iris often goes to work and to bed hungry, despite her hard work. Roman Kitt is the nineteen year-old heir-apparent to a new-money family, and is trying to make a name for himself in order to bolster respect from the elite, which is what his father craves above all. Iris and Roman are fiercely competitive and often bump heads, but soon find themselves connected in a very unusual way.

Like The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, this story has elements of You’ve Got Mail, but in a fantasy setting. Our main characters, Iris and Roman, develop an unlikely connection through magical typewriters and heart-baring letters. However, much like You’ve Got Mail, only one knows the identity of the other, and the ways in which that knowledge effects their rivalry is by turns funny and sweet. I’m not a fan of miscommunication as a trope, but this is, for some reason, an exception. Speaking of tropes, this is also one of the best rivals-to-lovers stories I’ve ever experienced. The romance here was just impeccable. It was sweet without being saccharine, and it made my heart ache in the best way.

I love when a fantasy world is not stuck in the magical equivalent of the dark ages. The existence of human progression and technological advancement in a fantastical world is woefully underrepresented in the genre as a whole, and I absolutely adore when a writer bucks that norm. This book did that incredibly well. We have a world that is obviously not our own, with gods and magic coexisting with typewriters and trains. And the war element was also well handled. It was interesting seeing a magical war through the eyes of journalists, those fighting with words instead of taking up arms. There were so many elements about this world and the story setup that I loved.

That being said, there were a few instances were plot progression felt less organic than the rest of the story and more like devices being forced to fit so that the plot would move along as the author dictated. But for the most part, this was a story that felt believable, even in the midst of the fantastic. I will say that the cliffhanger ending made me want to pull my own hair out from sheer frustration, but that also shows how deeply I was invested in the story. I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel. I hope Ross writes quickly!

So far the best book I’ve read this year!! Divine Rivals was poetic and emotional to the point It made me tear up. Despite this being fantasy, there are very little fantasy elements. For most of the book you can take out the Gods aspect and it’d be a touching tale about how war effects the lives of those facing it + a touching love story. Looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out!!

Thanks you publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An entrancing and beautiful story of love, trust, and becoming, set against a heartrending backdrop of war and loss.

The gods have woken, and they have gone to war.
Iris’ brother left to fight for Enva months ago, and she hasn’t heard from him since. She promised him she would finish school, but her mother has turned to drink and someone needs to make sure their bills get paid.
Roman’s father has a plan for how his life must look to society, regardless of what his son wants. Appearance is all that matters to the elder Kitt.
They both work for the Oath Gazette, and are vying for the same columnist position. Iris for survival, Roman for his family’s pride. But they share a connection that only one of them is yet aware of.

I need to put this book into the personal context that I am a teacher days away from the spring holiday, so I am utterly exhausted, and yet I stayed up late two nights in a row because I could not put this down. I laughed. I cried. I tried desperately not to wake my husband while I squealed.

Iris and Roman’s story is adorable. The loss, grief, and horror in this novel is visceral, and yet somehow it was still an enjoyable and quick read. I was entranced by the main characters from their first introduction, and loved the dynamic of the two POVs which allowed us to see what each character knew and was feeling. And what wonderful characters they are: deep, relatable, well-rounded, realistic. I didn’t always agree with their decisions, but they always felt true to who the characters were as people and what we knew of their histories.

Setting a book against a backdrop of war, violence, and loss without it becoming a dark and harrowing read is a skill. Rebecca Ross has perfectly balanced the realities of a war zone with fast pacing and lighthearted interludes which stopped me from dwelling overly on the less pleasant aspects of the book.

The magic of the world was subtle in this novel. I hope, and suspect, that we may see more of the gods magic in the sequel, but within Divine Rivals it is mostly contained to magic typewriters, myths, and anecdotes. I would love to see more of and learn more about the world’s magic in the next book.

Overall, I absolutely adored Divine Rivals, and cannot wait for the sequel already! Another wonderful book by Rebecca Ross.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The gods were supposed to be sleeping, but two rival gods wake and pull humanity into a war. Iris Winnow’s goal is to win the columnist position at a local newspaper, when her brother enlists in the war and is not heard from again. Iris strikes up a friendship with a mysterious correspondent, and is forced to rethink her priorities.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this one, but I ended up loving it so much! It is magical realism in a setting loosely based on the WWI era. I’m fascinated by time period, but it does make the warfare difficult to read. I also really liked the mythology aspect, how we hear some of the myths about the origins of the conflict between the gods. I hope to hear even more about that as the series continues. It has what I like to call the Cyrano trope, where one correspondent doesn’t know the other’s identity, and I thought it was done well in this book. The characters were brave and endearing, and I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance. I can’t wait to see where these characters go next!

This book takes time to set things up and pull you in but once it does you won’t be able to get enough. I’m familiar with the author’s last book so I knew I had to check this book out and it did not disappoint. Iris and Roman are rival reporters vying for the same position. The author does a great job of showing both their lives and motivations while revealing the growing bond between them. Then the magical typewriters get tossed in and you’re left wondering how it all connects. I loved this story and the way the two MCs fall for each other. It was written well and had me completely immersed in their world. Ngl, I didn’t get the whole Dacre/Enva thing at all and I still enjoyed the story. I would definitely recommend this to others who want to read a romance about two people who write magical love letters to each other. I’m definitely interested in the next book!


Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

3.5 stars

This is one of those fantasies that shouldn’t have been high fantasy; it should have been historical romance with magical realism. The world building was erractic, confusing, and overall lacking. In a world where the Roman Empire never existed, how is there a character named Roman? The author said this was a World War I inspired world—and while I can see the influences, I think this would have been better as a romance set in World War I without the gods. The gods were virtually irrelevant for the whole of the book, and the story isn’t really a fantasy. It’s a romance between two journalists during a war.

I will say, the romance was easily the best part of the book. I did enjoy it—although there were times I felt the romance moved too fast. Especially at the end, after Iris found out who she was writing. I always enjoy a good secret identities trope where they know (and hate) each other in real life, and I felt like it was well executed. I found Iris to be, at times, a somewhat irksome protagonist who wallowed in self-pity and felt inactive, but Roman felt like a Mr. Darcy type of love interest and I did really appreciate his character. The side characters all kind of blurred together.

Overall, I think this was a better romance than it was fantasy. I did have a good time reading it, especially when Roman and Iris were on the page together. If it were a historical romance with magical realism, it probably would have been a 5 star read. But I just can’t overlook the world building issues. I do think fans of A Far Wilder Magic will really enjoy this one!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.

Listen if you like:
🔱 Stories of Gods
🗡️ War Time Stories
✨ Fantasy
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
💕 Slow Burn Romances
😘 He Falls First
⌨️ Magical Typewriters

This one was such a great start to the series and I truly can’t wait for the next book after finishing this one!

If you are looking for a YA fantasy, I’d highly recommend checking this one out as it was such a sweet story of two people falling in love in two different ways, through the magical typewriters they are connected through and as enemies to lovers in the workplace. This one also is great for those that love Greek mythology or stories of gods interfering with human lives.

This truly has the sweetest love story and the ending that will definitely make me come back for the next book in the series!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for this spectacular ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Divine Rivals follows rival journalists Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt as they compete for the same columnist position at the prestigious newspaper publication, Oath Gazette. Against the backdrop of their cutthroat rivalry, a war between gods rages on. With her brother at the frontline and no contact with him in weeks, Iris seeks out her grandmother's magical typewriter. Initially, Iris believes her letters are going to her brother, but unbeknownst to her, they are being sent to Roman.

This is the first book I've read by Rebecca Ross, and it will definitely not be my last. Ross does an excellent job of weaving fictional historical lore and magical elements into the story, creating a rich and immersive world. My favorite aspect of the novel was the letters between Iris and Roman, which allowed for a deeper understanding of their characters and their motivations. The romance between Iris and Roman is sweet, intimate, and complex, adding another layer of depth to the already captivating plot.

The only flaw with this novel is the pacing. For the majority of the book, the plot moves slowly and mainly focuses on character development. By the 70% mark, the plot and romance began to quicken, and things feel a bit forced. The slow pacing worked well, and I wish the author had stuck to it until the end. Despite this, the book still manages to deliver a satisfying conclusion that sets up for the final installment.

With the combination of war, romance, friendship, and fantasy, there is something for everyone in Divine Rivals.

If you are a fan of the following, you'll enjoy this book:
・ Margaret Rogerson's writing
・ The penpal aspect of Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
・ Rivals to lovers
・ Slowburn romance
・ Sarcastic banter
・ Historical fantasy
・ Character-driven stories
・ Smart characters
・ Letters and articles in books

I've devoured every book Rebecca Ross has released! I own multiple copies of most of her books and I don't see that changing anytime soon. DIVINE RIVALS is going to break my wallet because I will be buying all the hardcover editions I can find.

I've had the ARC for this book for MONTHS, then I found out it was a duology and I just haven't been prepared to hurt myself like I knew this book would. I've read her other duolgies so I had a pretty good idea of what she would do to her readers...I mean...her characters. And OH did it hurt?!

Here I am, a week before the book actually releases, and I'm sitting her stunned and freaking out with no one to share the agony I'm experiencing. Iris and Roman's journey, yes, there's a journey...multiple journeys...and their love story. It's the best kind of love story! Rivals to lovers, sharp tongued banter, beautiful letters, heartfelt words...and a heart-rending ending!

Thank goodness this author is a quick writer and hopefully we get the sequel very soon. Although, today, right this moment, if I had book 2 in my hands, I don't know if my heart would be ready for what's about to come next. Nah...I would totally devour it.

Ohhh Rebecca Ross… a new autobuy author for me! I loved A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless so so much that I knew I had to get my hands on her newest book, Divine Rivals and I’m so glad that I did. First of all, the audio of this one was fantastic. So well done and with dual narrators it really brought the book alive for me. Second, I can’t get over how well written this book is. It covers multiple genres… a bit of history, romance and some fantasy mixed in and Rebecca wrote them flawlessly. Absolutely recommend this book. & if you are new to fantasy I think this would be a great place to start!

I had seen and heard nothing but glowing reviews for Divine Rivals and I worried that it might not live up to the hype. Well folks, this book was absolutely amazing. It's my first novel by Rebecca Ross and I am stunned and in awe of her talent. The rivals to friends to lovers romance and epistolary elements in the novel were chef’s kiss. The mix of fantasy and historical kept things engaging and completely drew me into the story. This book consumed me and I didn't want to put it down. I appreciated that Ross didn't shy away from the more difficult topics (please see CW's) and instead showed grief, healing, love, and loss in a beautifully raw and sometimes bittersweet way. I cried several times in the novel, some happy and some sad tears, but it was chapter 32 and the story of Sycamore Platoon that had me stopping my walk and quietly weeping on the sidewalk.

The romance between Iris and Roman had me swooning and grinning so hard. I loved how their relationship developed and evolved from would be rivals to so much more. It was such a tender and beautiful exploration of first love. The series is a duology, so I knew after feeling so much joy there would be a painful cliffhanger, but that ending still gutted me. Iris and Roman have my whole heart and I'll be dying a little each day as I wait for the sequel.

I both and read and listened to Divine Rivals, and Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk were phenomenal! They truly became Roman and Iris and their voices complemented each other so well. I also loved how the audio was produced so that each narrator was reading their letters even if it wasn't their POV chapter. It created a more immersive listening experience and heightened all of the emotions. Definitely recommend this one on audio!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 5 stars

CW (from the author): 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 voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

Well my friends…

I think I read my favorite read of the year. Rebecca Ross never disappoints. I am a forever fan! 😍

Divine Rivals is a rivals to lovers story about two writers after the same columnist position. With her brother off to war, Iris needs to get this job in order to keep her family from falling apart. During this workplace battle with the handsome Roman Kitt, Iris finds out that her letters to her brother have been mysteriously given to her rival by some form of magic. With two magical typewriters, both are plunged into a immortal war-torn world. Can their words and hearts survive it?  

This romance was so poetic and beautifully written. I was drawn into this book from page one. The rivals to lovers arc was absolutely perfect. And the letters. The LETTERS! 😍 I have no words for how much I loved their written relationship. The build, the chemistry, the distance, the protective vibes…the intimacy! Roman and Iris have my heart!

This story has WWII kind of vibes with a magical element. So fun to get a historical style fantasy! I loved that we discovered this fantasy world as the characters did. There is so much we have yet to learn, and I enjoyed going on the journey with them. 

I read this book physically and on audio. Fantastic read both ways. I highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers who want romance. 

How dare you @beccajross for writing this amazing story. I'm SO obsessed. 

This book comes out April 4th! You won't regret jumping into this story!

Thank you @macmillan.audio
@netgalley for my early copy. All thoughts in this review on my own

*Romance- fade to black
*TW- war, trauma, death of loved ones

#rebeccaross #divinerivals #favoriteauthor #macmillian #wednesdaybooks #bookphotos #fantasyreads #booksof2023 #apriltbr

You know that cozy feeling when you’re reading an excellent book and you’re just totally absorbed in the pages? Divine Rivals gave me that feeling from start to finish. It was so, SO good.

Rebecca Ross is an excellent writer and I’ve enjoyed her previous books, but something about this one just stood out from all the others. I was totally entranced. I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved every single thing about it. Divine Rivals felt like I was reading Atonement meets The Chronicles of Narnia meets The Lovely War.

Roman and Iris exist in a time setting similar to WWI, however the war is between two feuding gods, with some light fantasy elements mixed in. The way Rebecca Ross weaved the story, however, just feels so natural. The writing and descriptions were perfectly done. It was so easy to imagine the kind of world Rebeca Ross painted with her words. Chapter 25 (iykyk) alone played out in my mind like a freaking movie scene, music and all! I absolutely ADORED the romance between Iris and Roman! Nothing beats a good rivals-to-lovers romance, and Divine Rivals delivered! The ending left me aching for more, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

4.5 stars

This is enemies to lovers done right. That ending was a wild ride that demands you read the next book so you can find out what happens. It does have a lot of graphic descriptions of war, so be prepared for that. A romance is most of the plot for a good portion of the book, along with a few magical typewriters. I loved so many of the secondary characters, and hope we find out their fate in the next book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Divine Rivals is a triumph. I was pulled in from the first page and held in this story's grip until the very end. The world building was visceral and grounded. The prose was fabulous-- the whole thing, beautifully written. I cannot say enough about the character and romance arcs in this story. They were both executed masterfully. Winnow and Kitt are two characters I will not soon forget. My only complaint is how long I have to wait after that mind-blowing ending. This book is a new addition to my list of all-time favorite books. Simply put, Ross nailed it.

*Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the book, but wow am I glad I read this!

The writing in this book really made me captivated and invested in the story. The romance was exactly what I wanted from this, while not taking away from the plot of book.

It did take me a little while to get into the book, which is why it’s a 4 star for me.

Overall, I seriously cannot wait for book 2!!

I'm so happy to have discovered this new series called Letters of Enchantment! Can't wait for #2! Two young journalistic rivals, of course, fall in love. But this happens slowly, achingly through a series of magical letters...
Iris Winnow is trying to make ends meet with all her hopes pinned on becoming a columnist at the Oath Gazette. The only thing stopping her is handsome, cold Roman Kitt. While her brother is off fighting a war between Gods, Iris decides, after more heartache, to sign up as a war correspondent at the rival newspaper. The letters she had been sending to her brother, meanwhile, had been intercepted by Roman. They are both in possession of magical typewriters. Iris falls in love through these letters (not realizing its Roman), and Roman won't let anything keep him from Iris. Can their love survive this mystical war? Again, cannot WAIT for book 2!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this e-arc.*