You know those books that keep you up way past your bedtime? Those books that are beautiful and funny and heartbreaking and stressful all at once? Divine Rivals by @beccajross is one of those books. I am obsessed, thoroughly and completely. Iris and Kitt will live rent-free in my head for a long, long time.

This was my first Rebecca Ross book, and seriously, I’ve been missing books like THIS?? What was I thinking not picking up her other books sooner? Her writing is gorgeous, her story intricately woven together, and the fantasy WWI setting? Amazing. I’ve seen a lot of hype about this book. It’s true, all of it. Read this is you like:

* YA/NA fantasy
* WWI setting with a touch of magic
* enemies-to-lovers/ workplace rivals
* Dual POV
* Found family
* Books that give you ALL the feels

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Letters of Enchantment!

Iris Winnow has always wanted to be a writer. When offered a trial job with the newspaper, the Oath Gazette, she seizes it. It turns out she’ll be in competition with an Ivy League type, handsome and rich, Roman Kitt. Iris does delightful things to annoy Roman, like moving his precisely arranged pencils.
Working from home on her Nan’s old type writer she puts a letter into the wardrobe. The next day she receives an answer. What!? Iris believes she’s writing to her brother. Her corespondent sets the record straight and tells Iris he’s not Forest. They continue to write sharing their deepest secrets and painful memories.
Forest is off fighting the war for the Skyward goddess Enva against a defeated god of the Underling, Dacre.
Later, after some life changing moments, Iris resigns and becomes a war correspondent with a rival newspaper, the Inkridden Tribune. Mostly she interviews wounded soldiers behind the lines but when the opportunity opens to go to the front, she does. It’s akin to World War I in the trenches, without planes rather flying creatures called eithrals who drop bombs and gas, and the Hounds, wolf like creatures who kill at the slightest movement after dark.
Felix, having spurned his family’s requirement to marry the daughter of a chemist professor Elinor Little. Roman joins her at the front. (I can’t help putting his ex-fiancé's father’s position as a research chemist with the the gas containers on the front. After all, Felix’s father and that of his fiancé support Dacre)
We are left with Felix badly injured, the Dacreans having advanced their lines and overrun the town the correspondents were billeted in, and Forest mysteriously saving Cordelia as the enemy advances. What has happened to Roman in that devastating flight from the enemy.
Highly descriptive, tense writing produces well crafted scenes that really came alive. I was in the trenches quaking and terrified, on the fields gasping for breath whilst fleeing poisonous gases. Enveloped in the arms of my found love. An enemies to lovers romance that sighs into being.
A magical take on a twisted Orpheus and Eurydice theme with Dacre angered about being deceived by Enva when she escapes to the Sky, then returns, plays her harp and leaves Dacre asleep for two hundred years. Dacre has awakened and wants revenge. The God’s twisted anger sends a shiver down my spine. Humans have been dragged into the war. Their suffering is just beginning I suspect.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I absolutely adored this book. Academic rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and the epistolary nature of this romance was so sweet. I am so glad we got a bit of Roman’s POV because the pining was *chef’s kiss*. The fantasy elements play more of a background role, which I think is good to expect going in. This really feels historical romance/cosy fantasy adjacent with a WWI-esque setting. As always, Rebecca Ross’s writing is beautiful and this no exception. I didn’t know this was a duology going in, and I am already anticipating the next book!

Wow. What a fantastic read! Unique and intriguing with a fantastic cast of characters, a compelling plot, and an epic romance, Divine Rivals entranced me from start to finish. Ross is such a wonderful storyteller with the ability to make you feel all kinds of emotions. It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking, intense and dark and hopeful, and I loved every second of it.

Rival journalists at a newspaper and vying for the same job, Iris and Roman are both layered and compelling characters. Their backstories are different, but they are similar in many ways, especially in their passion for journalism and writing. With war brewing between the gods, men and women on each side are joining the fight, including Iris’s brother, there is a tense and foreboding tone throughout the story. Reports of missing soldiers have everyone concerned, and when Iris doesn’t hear from her brother, she joins the war effort as a front-line reporter in the hopes of finding out what happened to him.

I found myself easily immersed in this complex and layered world. It feels like the mid-twentieth century but with gods, monsters, and magic. It was so interesting, as was the mythology and history of the world. The story is cleverly constructed with a plot that slowly increases in intensity and pace as the story progresses. It all leads to a climactic ending that completely shocked me and might have made me cry a little.

Iris and Roman have a unique and complex relationship made even more interesting because they get to know each other as rivals and as pen pals. The pair exchanges letters, though Iris has no idea she’s writing to her rival. The letters are wonderful! In them, Iris and Roman are both vulnerable and exposed in ways they never are in their lives, and the letter writing gives them a safe place to express their deepest fears, worries, and more. They connect on such a deep and visceral level. After reading this book, I firmly believe I need a magical typewriter in my life, and I will be patiently waiting for that day to come.

To have a beautiful romance bloom in the midst of such violence and chaos and tragedy is a striking and powerful contrast. The backdrop of the story is bleak and dangerous, yet these wonderful relationships balance out the darker elements well. Oh my word, there are several scenes that had me absolutely swooning! Plus, it has one of my favorite tropes – the found family! I love this for Iris, who has lost most of her family. And Roman’s grandmother is fabulous too. She is wise and astute, and I’m hoping we’ll see more of her in future books.

This was a brilliant read and one I loved so much that I preordered a print copy even though I already have a digital one. I NEED to add this to my bookshelf of favorite reads! It’s intense, suspenseful, and so intriguing, and I adored Itis and Roman and their swoon-worthy love story. It’s the kind of story that makes you gasp out loud and shout at the book and laugh and cry and immediately look up the release date of the next book in the series even before finishing this one.

Did I purchase two other books by Rebecca Ross after reading this one? Yes, yes I did. I am determined now to read everything the author has ever written after loving this book so much.

I would definitely recommend checking out the content warnings before starting the story. It does not shy away from the harsh realities of war and economic insecurity and includes violence, death, loss, PTSD, addiction, and more. Special thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Rebecca Ross for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rebecca Ross never fails to disappoint! Her writing in itself has magical qualities that keep you transfixed and transported straight into the story.

I loved the slight feel of "You've Got Mail" mixed with fantasy in this book. It was a bit grittier, and a little more real life than the past series I read from her - but I liked that, it felt like it took inspiration from our own past with world wars.

The characters all had heart, it was easy to fall in love with them. The ending was very unexpected, and I'm on the edge of my seat with anticipation for the next book in this series.

I would highly recommend this book!

Short synopsis: Iris and Roman are both trying to get the columnist position at the newspaper. When the war stars and Iris’s brother joins, she writes letters to him but finds out quickly the letters being returned are not from her brother.

My thoughts: Wow, what a cliffhanger! And we won’t get book #2 until sometime next year.

This was a unique spin on a fantasy novel. It felt somewhat set in a “normal” world, until the random magical creature halfway through the book starts attacking. The first half was really slow going for me, but the second half picked up with the romance and action part of the story.

Rebecca really does have a way of writing that makes everything seem so real. I could almost picture myself in the war trenches along with Iris.

Read if you love:
- Enemies to lovers
- Magical elements
- Battle scenes
- Pen pals
- Lost family

4.25 stars
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I cried so much during this book. It had such beautiful descriptions of grief and hopelessness. Iris struggles the whole book with the fear of losing yet another loved one, yet she still chooses to love.

That ending hurt so so so badly. I'm so scared for the next book.

Roman is an amazing love interest! I love his teasing and his attitude. He cares so deeply but is scared to after what happened.

Sometimes the plot felt a little rushed while at others it seemed to drag. It could also be a little confusing with the whole mythology aspect.

DIVINE RIVALS is my second Rebecca Ross novel; it's certainly not going to be my last (and not just because this one has a sequel). My experience with this book mirrors my initial experience with this author -- it's slow to start as it invites the reader to step into this world and get a lay of the land (including meeting the characters and understanding their relationships) but it eventually has me caught up in the current of the tale. While there are certainly a number of familiarities, Ross' additions of gods and magic and her ability to write a lovely relationship dynamic did wonders for getting me highly invested in what would happen next for our main characters Iris and Roman.

Taking place in an England-like area resembling the WWII time frame where typewriters were the means of communication and war is at hand. Not your typical war, though; the war raging here is between 2 gods with mythical creatures at their disposal while the civilians are left to pick a side and fight.

We follow FMC, Iris, whose brother joined the war and has yet to be heard from. She heads into the war front as a neutral reporter, but her rival, Roman Kitt, also decides to show up as a reporter for reasons unknown.

I am an absolute sucker for enemies-lovers romance, fantasy elements, AND love interests writing letters to each other * my heart hurts *. Ross develops the world in this story vividly, and her writing style had me clinging to every word. The only issue I had was I read the first 75% of this book immediately. While reading the first 3/4, I could not think of anything else other than when can I pick this back up. After the 75% mark, everything moved unrealistically quickly and felt underdeveloped. This goes for the romance between love interests and the surprise twist. Both main characters have a lot of growth potential, leaving me impatiently waiting for book 2.

Thank you, NetGalley, Rebecca Ross, and St. Martins Press, for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Suspenseful and romantic, Divine Rivals is grounded in its WWI-inspired world while still feeling deeply magical. The reader can't help but fall in love with Iris and Roman as they fall for each other. The "You've Got Mail" premise is cleverly executed through magical typewriters, and the twist ending is a gut punch of a cliffhanger. Rebecca Ross continues to be an auto-buy author for me, both in YA and adult.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the earc!

This book you guys! At first I was not sure how Rebecca would combine what felt like the WWII setting with the world of gods but it totally worked. We got to see the hard scenes but we also got to see the magic.

I think I will start with the fact that I love books that include letters as a way of communication. The Notes between Roman and Iris were my absolute favorite part. I also liked that even though they were “rivals'' at work, these two stil tried to get to know each other in their own way. But I hate to stop and mention the fact that Roman left everything behind just to follow Iris. My heart couldn’t take it. Roman throwing himself over Iris and getting hurt? Nope, can’t do it.
“Ask me what my middle name is?” DEAD. That scene actually broke my brain

Normally, I am not a fan of fast marriages but because this book is set during the war, it actually made a beautiful scene and brought light to these two characters. I know we don’t know much about the gods and the rules of this world, but I think there is a chance that being married might actually help to get Roman back somehow and they will find a way to talk to each other.

Sadly, the ending was one part of this book that I didn’t love. Don’t get me wrong, it made sense and fit the story very well but it just didn’t feel as strong as the rest of it. It happened pretty quickly and left me feeling like something was missing. I also felt like Iris and her brother got back to Oath way too quickly. I definitely need more information on that

Overall, I need book 2 and a happy ending.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me this e-arc in return for an honest review.

This book was brilliant!!! Rebecca Ross has done it again, each time I pick up her books I know I am going to be taken to a world that I will fall in love with.

Divine Rivals had everything I love, a world resembling WWI, ancient gods waring with each other, a love story that just burns inside of you and makes you ache for them, and struggles they face. I love how in depth she went to show the pain that people face in war, there were so many times I just wanted to cry for those that were suffering in the book. Added to it the pains that both Roman and Iris experience from their own families, to the decisions they make because of the life they have had. Rebecca Ross does a stellar job of crafting a story of two people telling their sides of the story.

The lore behind the Gods, the world, the magic, was extensive and beautiful. It doesn't matter what book I pick up of Ross, but it always makes me just want to soak up every single detail I can, and I crave more of the world even when I am finished.

I wish I could rate this book more than a 5 as I would. I can't wait for book 2!!!

I dnfd this at about a third of the way through. The writing was ok, but too many things were happening and certain things should have been more of a focus than the mediocre romance.

This book weaves genres into a rich, spellbinding tapestry, using threads of romance, mythology and fantasy to create a masterpiece.

Iris wants to get a promotion to columnist at the local newspaper, but her rival, Kitt, isn't going to make it easy. Neither does her editor, who won't let her write about what really matters to her - the war between the gods Enva and Dacre that her brother left home to fight in. Iris pours out all her feelings into letters to her brother, Forest, which get magically whisked away when she places them in her wardrobe. She hopes they're getting delivered to him, until one day someone writes back. "This isn't Forest." Iris continues writing, beginning to fall for her mystery correspondent.

After a personal tragedy, Iris decides she has to see for herself what's going on at the front. She signs up to be a war correspondent but is completely befuddled when Kitt immediately quits the job he worked so hard to win to follow her. The bloodshed, horror and danger she finds at the front will test everything she knows about both herself and Kitt.

This book is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance where Kitt knows how he feels first. It's fun watching Iris get there too, as Kitt sacrifices everything to follow her into danger. I loved the magical elements with the warring gods, but it stayed pretty rooted in our world. The war scenes reminded me of something you might read in WWI or WWII fiction.

This book will obviously have a sequel, as it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Divine Rivals is one of those books that will stay with you long after its final pages. The story has everything—a strong, inspiring female lead, a BEAUTIFUL slow-burn romance, immersive world-building, and a courageous message about fighting for what you care for and believe in.
If you’re looking for a new book to escape into, Divine Rivals is the perfect read for anyone—for romance and fantasy lovers alike. It’s an original tale filled to the brim with love, emotion, and sentiment. Another favorite of the year by Ross, and my heart is still in shambles as we wait for the sequel.🥲 (*cue “The Great War” by Taylor Swift*)

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This novel was a bit confusing. It starts out well. It introduces the world and the gods and the structure in a way that is organized and enticing. It progresses well, following Iris, until she makes a snap decision and becomes (essentially) a different person.

I’m not sure how I felt about that. But it’s about halfway through that the story really starts. And it’s different from the way it begins. The only piece tying the two together is that Iris is writing letters to someone. This is important until it isn’t anymore.

And then, it becomes a tragic love story. Until it ends, with tragedy and loss and becomes a fantasy novel with gods and monsters and war and brutality.

I feel a bit strung out. I want to know what happens next. Iris wasn’t completely hideous and I want to see good things happen to her and for her. Mostly, I just want the end of this myth with the gods because that was fascinating and there was far too little of it. Good thing this ended on a cliffhanger and there’s at least one more volume!

This was an adventure. There were things I didn’t like but it wasn’t the talent of the writer. This was written pretty well; not perfect but perfectly digestible. The characters felt real. Some felt a little flat and Iris bothered me. I didn’t like her. She was a bit simpering and clueless. Given her circumstances, I expected her to be a little more gritty. Roman was cute. He also seemed a bit clueless. The other, supporting characters felt half-alive, but they got very little page time, so maybe I’m nit-picking.

The world was confusing but it felt real enough. I feel confused about where things are and the bit about the gods sleeping, but I might have missed something? Maybe? There was a lot of emphasis on the gods and their war, but very little information. It felt intentional. I just found it confusing. Mostly, I’m wondering what the point of this introductory novel was given how it ended. As in, where it seems to be leading could have been halfway through this book rather than snail-trailing Iris for 200 pages. The author seems to have veered so far from the start that I’m wondering if there was a shorter path that would have been more satisfying for a new reader.

I’ll probably pick up book two. I’m curious and tenacious. I’d recommend if you like rom-coms, war stories and myths. There’s a little of everything. Even if you don’t like war stories, which I typically loathe. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Oh my goodness. This book was the most magical thing. Definitely my favorite from Rebecca Ross. I don’t even know where to start…the world building was amazing, the characters were dreamy. Enemies to lovers, check. Heart break, check. Magic, check. Ancient forces working against each other, check. Do yourself a favor and read this book! If you like Rebecca Ross’s other books, you will love this one.

I loved this story so much! Rebecca Ross's writing is magical and beautiful. Divine Rivals is one of my new favorite reads and will be reading it over and over. I loved the rivals to lovers trope in this book. The letter writing and plot was so well done and I found myself wanting to read more. I can't wait to read the next one and can't recommend this book enough. Mrs. Ross is my new auto-buy author.

The gods have awoken from centuries of sleep and are at war. Our story mainly follows Iris: a recent hire for the Oath Gazette and contender for columnist. Her mother is struggling with addiction and her brother is missing in action from the war. By day she is fighting for her position with her rival, Roman. At night she is writing letters to her brother. As she slips the letters underneath the wardrobe door, she has no idea where they disappear to…..until an anonymous letter responds.

I truly don’t know if I could begin to describe my love for this book. Iris, Roman, and the whole cast of characters made this novel. The story was moving and I just couldn’t put it down. I thought the plot flowed beautifully. Rebecca has an incredible way about describing characters and locations. The ending made my jaw DROP. Incredible writing.

Book 2 cannot get here fast enough!


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

Iris Winnow is a newbie reporter at the Oath Gazette, hoping to use her words to make a difference in the war effort. When two old gods awoke from slumber, plunging the world into war and chaos, Iris's brother went off to fight, leaving Iris and their mother behind. The only solace Iris finds is by writing letters to her brother and slipping them under her wardrobe. To her surprise, she receives a letter back, but it's not from her brother. Iris strikes up a tenuous friendship with this stranger, who unbeknownst to her is none other than her infuriatingly handsome rival from the Gazette, Roman Kitt.

After a tragic accident, Iris leaves Oath and signs up to become a war correspondent. Now instead of typing up classifieds, she'll be reporting from the front lines. She also hopes her new position will help her uncover what happened to her brother, whom she hasn't heard from in months. Soon, much to her annoyance, Iris is joined by Roman. The pair have always felt a connection between them--one Iris has always chalked up to trying to best the other-- but that connection grows into something more delicate the longer they're together. With the war creeping ever closer, Iris and Roman will have to hope their love is enough to face the wrath of the gods.

I fell in love with Ross's writing style after reading her Elements of Cadence duology, so I was excited to pick this up. Ross has this incredible way of crafting stories that are hopeful and heartbreaking all at the same time. I loved following Iris and Roman and how they went from sort of rivals to something so much more. The connection they forged was tender, and seeing it blossom amongst such a dark background was beautiful. I also thought Ross did a nice job showcasing the realities of war and how it affects people. The only minor issue I had was that it took me a while to understand the lore of the world and these gods. Other than that, I thought this was great, and I'm looking forward to the next book.