It took a minute to hook me - some of the fantasy elements just weren't for me.
But the plot - UM YES!
The character development of Winnow and Kitt - so well done, complex, relatable and so heart wrenching. The use of a typewriter - the story behind its creation as well as the magical ability to communicate between them. Creative and lovely.
Rivals to friendship - again complex and so well done.
Family issues. Feisty grandmothers. Siblings.
I cannot wait for the next!

I really love Rebecca Ross as an author. I recently discovered her after reading a River Enchanted and A Fire Endless. She’s so masterful at creating beautiful magic worlds that blend with worlds we know. Her writing is very prosaic and I lover her characters. I will say for this book I felt like the main focus was on the two main characters and their relationship and the plot seemed almost like a background. Despite that I really enjoyed the book. I am curious about where the next book will lead especially after that ending. Worth a read!

Oh man, this was such an amazing read! I love Rebecca Ross's writing, her stories are just so compelling, and I had such a great time with this book! Enemies to lovers is a favourite trope of mine, and I loved watching it play out in this book!

Rebecca Ross has written some really fantastic books in the past, and with this book's synopsis, I knew that this book would be just as good. And boy, it was, I loved learning about the magic, as well as the enemies to lovers romance!

I utterly adored their romance. They both work at the paper, but they don't get along.When he magical gets the letter that she wrote to her brother, and replies, it's the start of something more, and watching them from this connection through their letters to one another was just fantastic!

The supernatural stakes of this book, with dealing with this war, it was a pretty huge task. I loved watching Iris undertake it, with the horrors and traumas of war, which Rebeca Ross dealt with excellently. The way things ended, yeah, I'm glad this is (I think) a duology so I can have more, and see where it goes from here!

This was such a great read, and I can't wait for the sequel!

“Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross is a book that blends elements of WWI and fantasy together to create a stunning story. I loved Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, and their story together just made my heart melt. The romance between them was allowed to slowly burn throughout the book and it just felt natural. The magic and WWI elements are melded very well together and it’s obvious that Ross did her research. There are some plot points of this book that I wanted to unfold a bit more gradually, but there was nothing that really hindered my reading experience and enjoyment of the book. I would happily recommend “Divine Rivals” to anyone who loves bantering rivals to lovers, magic typewriters, and a beautiful story that will both warm your heart and leave you waiting for the sequel.

I DEVOURED this book - it was so good. I absolutely loved the newsroom/journalist vibes & the chemistry between Roman and Iris. Everything about this worked. Now I can't believe I have to wait for book 2 :0

Review posted on Goodreads - March 6th 2023 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5393441239
Review will be posted on Amazon- April 13th 2023
Review posted on Waterstones- March 6th 2023 https://www.waterstones.com/reviews/divine-rivals/rebecca-ross/9780008588151/286445#review-286445

4.5 stars

• Rivals to lovers
• Found Family
• Secret Identity
• Magical Realism
• Upper YA (due to heavy themes, see TW below)

Divine Rivals is my favourite read of the year so far, it’s a book I couldn’t wait to continue reading! Ross’ writing was easy to read and enjoyable and the characters were lovable and the relationships intriguing. She created an atmospheric world full of magical realism, myth, and mystery.
Divine Rivals follows Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, who are both competing for the open columnist position at The Gazette. While Iris is trying to make ends meet and look after her mother, she is also writing to her brother, whom she lost contact with when he left for the war front months ago. Roman, on the other hand, leads a vastly different life– one controlled by his father and haunted by grief and regret. The letters he mistakenly receives from Iris are beacons of light, a connection he would call fate if he believed in fate. The more they communicate the more their lives intertwine.

While Divine Rivals is a romantic fantasy, there was also a focus on many different relationships. Found family, friendships, and strong side characters are highlights of this novel. Another positive is Ross doesn’t romanticise war, instead, the war is devastating and has a lasting impact on everyone involved in different ways.
Although this story was dual POV it mainly followed Iris and I would’ve liked more of Roman’s POV– at times, his POV felt like an afterthought. The mythology of the world could also be richer, at the end of the novel I still don’t know a lot about the gods or the reasons behind the war. As Divine Rivals is the first in a series, hopefully, these questions will be answered. I can’t wait to continue this series!

Content warnings were hard to locate, I found them in an author update on Goodreads. Hopefully, they can be added to the blurb.
TW: War, death, injury, loss of a sibling, loss of a parent, drowning, alcoholism, grief. The second half of this book focuses heavily on the action of war and doesn’t pull its punches. Ross used writings about WWI as a reference. Read only if you are comfortable with this content.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

A big thanks to Bethany @illstoptheworldandreadwithyou for sharing about this book. As soon as I read her review I was like SOLD & I ended up finding a fantasy with kissing book that was so good!

But also now I am INVESTED & there’s a cliffie.

But let’s focus on the positive ;) .

Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals has an enemies to lovers, workplace romance, class difference romance arc with a bit of a you’ve got mail correspondence situation—Iris, the FMC, has been writing letters & magically sending them to her beloved brother who’s at war, without knowing that they are actually traveling to her workplace rival Roman Kitt instead.

He does know that Iris is sending them. That won’t cause any problems, right? ;)

I basically thought everything about this book is so well done. Those elements, how war experiences are incorporated, both of the leads’ writing experiences, how they come to mean more to each other.

I love how they came together & the closing scenes left me with my heart in my throat. Not to mention the sweetness of various moments throughout the novel, like how Roman is willing to ride on the side of a truck FOR HOURS into a war zone because he can’t bear for Iris to go without him…& this is before they’re even together.

Highly recommend this one & really need the second kthankyoubye.

5⭐️. Out 04/04.

CWs: previous death of mother. Previous death of sister. War references.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the book in front of a brownish-green branch. A blue sky, a green field, & a chandelier are in the background.]

I received this advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. What a whirlwind of a novel! I genuinely enjoyed both of our main characters and the natural, snappy dialogue, filled with attempts to draw irritation in one another. I genuinely found this world to be very interesting, well developed, and it proposes stark choices that each character has to make for their own reasons. Although the romantic entanglement might come across slightly simplistic, I think it was charming and overall a worthwhile twist in this story.

Around 70% of the way through this novel I realized it was likely our characters were going to be separated by either the war, or some other circumstances. Despite that, I couldn't help but read all of the rest of the story and enjoy every last detail. Of course the plot twist at the very end is something that leaves the reader with a slight sense of dissatisfaction, but only because you are so engaged with your characters and hoping for it all to turn out well for them. Unfortunately we will have to find out more in our next installment!

If you are interested in any type of witty, class-differences story, set in a steampunk type of world with limited magic, and a raging war on a distant frontline, this is the novel for you!

This book definitely stepped me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible. There is magic. Enemies to lovers. War. I grew to really pull for the characters, Iris and Rowan, to figure things out. I also love the secondary characters and how they banded together to create this new family.

Fantasy is not my typical genre and I was a bit confused in parts but overall I really enjoyed Divine Rivals. Thank you to McMillan and NetGalley for providing the ARC to review this fantastic book.

I had such an emotional reaction to this book in October that I felt like I needed to wait a couple of months, read it again, and then form my thoughts into a coherent review… It didn’t work. I’m going to leave a couple of jumbled thoughts below but mostly I just want you to read it.

Things I loved:
- Impeccable writing that has burrowed into my heart and lives there now. Somehow Ross’s books get better and better with each reread and this one is no exception.
- The love story - the transition from rivals to lovers feels natural and fitting for the story.
- The characters. Ross never fails on this.
- It feels a lot like historical fiction but there are fantasy elements perfectly blended in.
- The love story - I could feel the two of them falling in love through their letters. This was my favorite thing about the book Last Christmas in Paris and I loved feeling that again here. So, if you liked that, read this.
- The way Ross handles the topic of grief. Especially in this particular scenario. Even when things feel devastating there is a constant thread of hope.
- The love story - this ends with a lot of unanswered questions that have me desperate for book two but the love story goes full circle in book one and I love that this particular question is not one we have to wait to have answered.
- Ross is SO good at world building and making the setting feel real. I feel wrapped in it, like it’s a real place, every time. If you can, definitely consider listening to the playlist that Ross made for it on Spotify while you read. I did it for my reread and it made it even more immersive.
- The love story - Yes, there is a theme here 🥰

A huge thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Content: romance is one very vague open door scene, alcoholism, war related violence, death of close family member

Divine Rivals tells the story of rival newspaper reporters who secretly pine for each other while “hating” each other in the office. Iris Winnow ends up going to the war front to cover the ongoing war between rival gods and to find her brother to enlisted in the prologue. Roman Kitt wonders why he cares that she’s left.

The magical elements of the book were actually less than I expected. Besides magical pen pals, the gods are very much in the background. The emphasis on emotions is the focus of this book. The emotions of unrelenting, young love, of terror and visceral carnage of war and of living in the moment.

I enjoyed this one. The ending was good and left me wanting to read Book 2 of the Duology. Ross paints vivid imagery. I could picture each scene and I hope it gets adapted to screen.

This is my first book read by this author and I’ll definitely be reading her other. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ross has yet to write a bad book in my opinion. This is just another example of how fantastic her writing is. Ins and Roman are such great characters with unbelievable chemistry. She made you want to cheer for the characters on one page and then want to reach through the pages and shake some sense into them on the next..

“But I think there is a magical link between you and me. A bond that not even distance can break.”

A romantic, stirring, and tender story about two people who are meant to be together, despite everything that holds them apart, Divine Rivals gave me every emotion imaginable and then some. I adored Iris, Kitt, Attie, Marisol, and Keegan, along with the brave soldiers and medical personnel I met on the pages. I wasn’t expecting to read a war novel, and I may have hesitated to read it if I knew about the graphic scenes depicting violence and death, but I felt that they were written with great care and grace. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Look for a podcast review to release on publication day.

Rebecca Ross writes fantasy that feels familiar and possible--a world so like ours that the step into the unfamiliar is a small one. I loved her adult duology and when I saw she had a new YA series coming out, I was so excited. Divine Rivals did not disappoint. I loved every second of it. It felt like f a fresh, fantastical version of a made-for-tv movie I loved as a kid where letters magically travelled through time between two strangers. I loved how Ross juxtaposed the workplace rivalry between Roman and Iris with the magical friendship that unfolds between Iris and her mysterious pen pal.

This book, while set in a fantasy world with warring gods, felt like it could have been set in the very real world of the early twentieth century--almost. Typewriters and wardrobes and gardens that need tending alongside trenches and devastation and loss--every element of the story contributes to its brilliance. I can't believe I have to wait and wait and wait for the second book.

I think this settles it. After reading the Elements of Cadence and now Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross is an auto-buy author for me from now on.

5/5 Stars! Divine Rivals is like nothing I have read before. It reads like historical romance with some fantasy elements. Two rival writers communicate with each other through a magical means. It’s an enemies to lovers, but the setting is what makes this such a great read. The world is at war because of two fighting gods. The book goes into detail of war at the front lines so reader beware. However the author is able to describe all emotions and aspects during a horrific war. It’s full of loss, death, grief, hope, compassion, a found family, and love even in hard times. Book 1 isn’t out yet but I’m already needing book 2!!

Love Love Love Love. Rebecca Ross is absolutely fantastic. The way she built up this romance had me giggling. I loved the war between gods concept set in a more real world setting.

Rebecca Ross’s books have always been favorites of mine, and this book is no different. It is a fantasy version of You Got Mail set during a magical war between two gods. This book was absolutely fantastic in every aspect, and I adored following Iris and Roman the entire time. Their rivals-to-lovers romance was one of my favorites. It was so sweet and had me smiling a lot while reading.

I’ll always love epistolary novels, and I enjoyed how Rebecca Ross used letters throughout the story, especially the magical aspects of that. This book was a historical fantasy that showed the horrors of war. Many times it was a hard read, and there were plenty of heartbreaking scenes. It deals with grief, loss, and Iris and Roman’s romance. There are many letters between them both that spoke to me on a level that I was not expecting.

Divine Rivals is a historical fantasy novel that shows the horrors of war and a connection that I loved watching grow. It’s beautiful to read about Iris and Roman’s relationship and see them learn about each other. I could not get enough of reading them. Now, I cannot wait to read the next book, especially after that ending.

I received an e-arc of Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was certain this would be 5 stars so I started reading it on my birthday. And I was entirely right, this hit me so hard. It has everything I enjoy in a story. Rivals to lovers, anonymous letter writing, historical fantasy vibes.
I never wanted it to end so I really took my time and I can't wait for the sequel. WinnowKitt truly has my whole heart and I love them so much. I would definitely buy multiple copies or special editions of this one, it's likely going to be a favourite of the year for me.
5 stars <3

Divine Rivals is a beautifully woven upper YA Fantasy/Romance. I think, it could even fit within the Historical Fiction category. The fantasy elements, for me, felt like little magical touches in the world while the story as a whole seemed more rooted in a historical England of sorts.
I found the romance to be a high driving part of the plot. The two main characters decisions are mostly based around each other and their feelings toward one another.
There's so much depth built into Iris and Roman that it was easy to become attached to them. I felt it when tragedy hit or when Roman was conflicted in a decision, even if I was torn on whether or not I actually liked Roman <i>Conceited</i> Kitt in that moment. I found myself actually cursing him at times.
My favorite part of a good story is essentially falling in love with the characters and Ross wrote Iris, Roman, and all the side characters in such a way that you can't help it, you become invested in what happens to them.

I didn't expect a story based in a time of war to be so magical and thrilling. I honestly had a hard time putting the book aside to sleep and I was not prepared for that last chapter or the epilogue!

From the first page to the last, Iris and Roman embark upon quite a journey and I cannot wait to see what happens next!



HUGE thank you to Wednesday Books via NetGalley for the e-ARC to read, enjoy, and honestly review.

This book was absolutely great. I loved the mix of historical fiction, rom-com/enemies to lovers, with just a hint of fantasy. It was not what I expected at all, especially after reading several other books by Rebecca Ross. This is by far her best series I've read. The characters are so enjoyable and approachable, they could be someone you know. I do wish we had a little more background/foundation on how Roman felt about Iris prior to his receiving her letters, but I understand why it wasn't included as it would have really drawn out the start of the book. Maybe it's something Ross can add to the next book in the series as flashbacks for Roman? Anyway, I loved this book and I feel that it will be a comfort read for me in the future. It is definitely one that I will purchase for my shelf once it's released. Now I just have to wait until 2024 for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this ARC to read to and review!