Rebecca Ross is one of my favorite authors, and this book does not disappoint! It’s so vividly raw and beautiful and I was rooting for Roman and Iris from page one. I’m desperate for the sequel RIGHT NOW and am probably going to go cry and decompress for a bit because THAT ENDING.

I had no idea what to expect with this book and now I can’t stop thinking about how good it was! It involves a secret correspondence via magical typewriters, an enemies to lovers romance (but in the best way) a war between Gods and an action packed ending with the biggest cliffhanger. This book was written so beautifully and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes me. And it better take me exactly where I need it to BTW. 😉 I definitely recommend this gem of a book and I can’t wait to read more of Ross’ work!

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖

✨ Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross ✨

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Where do I even start. This book is now one of my favorite reads of all time. ONE OF THE GOATS! I fell in love with the story + the characters so deeply that the cliffhanger ripped my heart from my chest and now I’m trying to put all the pieces back together because it was just 👏 that 👏 good 👏

Here’s what to expect:
✨ Fantasy world but with historical atmospheric vibes circa WWI
✨ War between 2 gods who compel mortals to fight for them
✨ Rivals to lovers + newspaper workplace romance
✨ Secret identities
✨ He falls first
✨ Dual POV
✨ Painfully romantic (I cried lots)
✨ Gut-wrenching ending with lots of promise for the next book (this is the first of a duology)

I need the sequel like I need air. I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this story, but I will say that it is forever engrained in my soul.

Beautiful story about a young woman trying to survive in a war ridden world. I absolutely loved this story. From the beginning the main character had a lot of trauma and heartache and you felt it while reading. You felt the loss and heartache and happiness and eventually love. The ending left me speechless and wanting more!

Wow. This is fantasy, but the historical feels are SO real - the World War I vibes are hard to miss. The writing is beautiful and the enemies to lovers is so exquisitely done. It's built on class differences and competition where they still respect each other and the other's talent - which just makes them more competitive. And if you love an enemies to lovers where He Falls First and He Falls Hardest, this is absolutely up your alley.

This is primarily a romance, but the world is so well crafted and thickens the plot. This war isn't built on politics, but it's built on gods. And as you're following the characters at first, the war seems like an afterthought because that's what it is for them - they're so removed from the war and what's happening. But as the characters get closer to the war, the reasons for it and the reality of it grow in intensity to the point where the book ends and you know exactly how important all of it is going into book two. It was realistic to how war is for a lot of us, these days, though probably not as realistic as it would've been in WWI.

The backstories for both characters was well structured and built up, but Iris's was definitely stronger than Roman's. I can see that focus changing a little in book two and there are still some holes to fill in, but Iris and Roman were both clearly flawed humans with complex backgrounds and it was delightful to get to know them.

I loved Rebecca Ross's debut duology and got off reading her books for a while but wow am I happy to return. She's probably one of the greatest authors we have in YA right now.

1.) How dare this be a first book in a series without me knowing until I am halfway through and Goodreads has a series name next to the title that I don’t believe was there before!

2.) This book wasn’t what I was expecting but in a good way!

3.) How dare Ross make me feel so much for these characters! My heart can’t take it!

The book is told from two point-of-views that come from Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt. They are both working at the same newspaper and vying for the same job. Their relationship definitely has enemies-to-lovers vibes and with that comes some very humorous banter.

I guess because the blurb mentions it I can talk about their letters to one another. Although I will keep it brief! The letters between them were filled with a lot of heart and grief but also hope and understanding when it’s time to be your person and not let others dictate your life. They make both Iris and Roman vulnerable and I loved seeing that side of them. They always have a hard exterior or armor and it’s not easy to let people in. Even though they had their differences they still had much in common like family issues and grief, and it does help to build a bridge across their gap.

The romance was slow and sweet. It took time to culminate the events leading up to the massive whoa moment and I couldn’t be happier with how everything went down. In the midst of all the war and the destruction that comes with it there was still hope and a promise for a better day.

Now, this book obviously deals with the horrible effects and war as mentioned previously. It’s sad and had me tearing up. War also means that everything doesn’t go according to plan either and those plot twists were BRUTAL. That word needs to be in caps. The last half of the book never quits once it gets going and I finished a good chunk of it in one sitting! I needed to know what would happen next to these characters that I grew fond of.

There are many other characters besides Roman and Iris. I pretty much liked them all, even if some had smaller parts. Roman’s family though? Total dillweeds. I feel like they could have a larger role in the next book though. It just might cause a lot of strife! They each had a different story to tell about why they were fighting, reporting on the war, or just helping where they could. They showed a different side to everything.

Throughout the book we learn bits and pieces about the two gods that declared war against one another. I love mythology and this was a nice touch! I still have a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to the gods but I am sure that more will be revealed in the sequel. It was also a nice touch to see things discussed (usually an item) be used in a later part of the book and then have that ah-ha moment when it all comes

Overall, I am very pleased with this book even if my heart is shattered from all the feelings that came over me while reading. Ross did a fantastic job yet again!

Enemies to lovers is a trope we can all get behind. ACADEMIC RIVALS to lovers? *chef’s kiss*

This is deemed an upper YA/adult romance, Ross’ first in this genre… and she knocks it out of the park. The tension. The angst. It’s, *magical*. Just like this story.

Ross writes with such passion and attention to detail, you can’t help but fall in love with her worlds and her characters. Everything is mysterious and dazzling and charming, and you are just happy to be along for the ride.

While discussing war, violence, addiction, and the bleaker sides of life, Ross manages to have a lens of looking toward the light in the darkness, of hope. It is a breath of fresh air.

Iris and Roman’s story is one I know I will continue to revisit again and again.

Congratulations on this beautiful book, Rebecca.

Thank you Netgalley for this exceptional ARC in exchange for my honest review.

first time reader of miss ross' work and I can positively say this woman is gonna be an auto buy author. the story-telling was so masterfully done that it honestly made me question my wit and intelligence. it took a little bit for me to fully grasp the story's nuances because I was enraptured by the way the words came together to create a world filled with adventure, war, love and loss and a lot of bad-assery from the leads.

the book has a lot of great commentary on important topics which I will mute because it may be a spoiler. however, I will say that it painted a diverse portrait of how fucked up reality is, and the immorality of humans as they are flawed. i also loved the war aspect of this novel quite a bit. the road it took was unexpected, i honestly went in with little expectations but, to this book's favor, it soared really high. this was not so much as a plot driven book as it was a tale of two characters' navigating their lives in a world so dangerous. iris and roman take the prize for most thought out characters. i just think they each have so much depth and layers to their independence, and it takes a while for both of them to come to terms with how each other's presence is truly what drives the hardest bargain. the push and pull, angst and rivalry really set them up as one hell of a team in the end.

the finale was chaotic to say the least. there were a lot of info dump which is presumably to set up the next installment of the series-- it was quite confusing because 0-100 was reached really quick but i cannot wait to see it play out.

A huge shout-out to netgalley and the author for kindly providing an arc!! all opinions are my own :)

I don't know how i felt about this book to be honest. I fee a bit conflicted. I think the marketig of this book was a bit off and that colored my thoughts. I think if you enjoy war based story with a publishing and reporting element. I think this book had a minor magical element but not enough to push the story forward, I really did liked both characters, i noramally struggle with war based novel and the back half of this novel fell falt for me!!

I discovered Rebecca Ross's books last year and instantly fell in love with her writting and storytelling. So i was very excited to read this one, and let me tell you, i loved this.
Divine Rivals broke my heart, mended it and broke it again. This books made me cheer and cry several times and left me waiting for more (that cliffhanger!! When is the sequel coming?!? Can't wait!)
Iris was an awesome protagonist, she was really strong and always after what she believed in. Roman was delightful, too. I loved how whipped he was with Iris 😂😂, but also how she also stood up for what he believed.
All the side characters were amazing, too! (Big found family vibes).

Secrets pen-pals who dislike each other irl is one of my favorite tropes so i loved that aspect of the book, too. They relationship was so cute and i loved how it progressed as the story went.

Really, really enjoyed this one. I highly recommend checking it out when it comes out. Can't wait for the sequel!

“Even now, I think about how effortless it is to lose oneself in words, and yet also find who you are.”
"Divine Rivals" is an engaging story that will appeal to admirers of both historical fiction and fantasy romance. Iris and Roman journey through workplace rivals, mysterious correspondence, loss, love and war times. The atmosphere and the world of this story are so clearly communicated through Ross’ writing style. I wanted to savor every word. This compelling story is full of feeling, intrigue, and romance; and unlike anything I have read before. I am still reflecting on the emotions of this book; I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed these characters and their story.

I fell in love with Ross’ storytelling when I started the Elements of Cadence duology. Now after reading “Divine Rivals,” I will be picking up everything she writes. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the second book in this duology.

Thank you Rebecca Ross for a beautiful story and thank you St. Martin’s Press for this arc.

This book is very captivating! Rivals who exchange letters, a brother at war, a mom suffering from addiction, arranged marriages. This fantasy romance has it all. I can't wait to share this book with other readers.

Book Name: Divine Rivals

Author: Rebecca Ross

ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and for an ARC of Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Stars: 5

Spice 1

- Book 1 in Unfinished Series
- Emotional Cliffhanger
- Dual POV
- Fantasy Romance
- Fast-paced
- Enthralling
- Can’t Put Down.
- “Historical” Vibes
- Interesting Myth/Magic System
- love how the author occasionally describes the way the air tastes (brilliant)
- Magical Letters
- Rivals to Lovers
- He Falls First (vibes)
- Perfection
- Gasping by the epilogue from holding my breath
- Best Book 2023

I will begin by stating that I devoured this book like a creature starved.

I had the privilege reading an eARC of Divine Rivals, provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, and it surpassed every expectation. I was already a fan of the author’s work, knowing how skillfully she creates unique stories and still, I was utterly blown away.

Divine Rivals is a fantasy war-time romance, complete with magic typewriters and enchanting banter. It offers a sort of World War II-esque environment while still being its own entity which allowed the author the ability to focus on the romance without the sensitive themes that these war novels typically carry. It also allowed her to slip in queer supporting characters and gender equality as we see female soldiers, male nurses, and none of the “you can’t do that because you’re a woman” garbage of the 1940s'. (I love it.)

I love to see authors’ work grow over time, and this certainly shows Ross’s mastery of words. Her writing was poetic and moving, and early on in the book, I found myself laughing and crying and squealing, and trying very hard not to throw my Kindle across the room (in the best way).

This is an absolutely stunning piece of art with lovable characters, great plot, and a fantastic, squeal-worthy romance. Ross’s explanations of grief and healing were exactly what I needed without even realizing it. The characters bloomed on the page like flowers as they removed their armor piece by piece and I fell so deeply in love with the story. Reading Divine Rivals reminded me of why I adore reading.

All that being said, the cliffhanger at the end of the book SHOOK ME. While it was artfully spun, I found myself needing to collect my jaw, as it had fallen to the floor, and go for a little walk to calm down. (It is a good sign when a book affects me so.)

I absolutely adore Rebecca Ross, and I adore this beautiful creation of hers. Highly recommend. :)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This book was such an amazing surprise! I had never read anything by the author before, and havent heard much about her work but I wanted to read this as soon as a read the synopsis. I love stories about war, grief and above all hope in the middle of all this plus the romance with tropes I also tend to enjoy and I knew it would be hard for me not to like it. And I was not dissapointed! But even knowing I would probably enjoy I still ended up loving it so much more than I thought I would. I loved the writing, the world, Iris motivation being about her love for her brother, the characters, Attie and Iris relationship with Marisol and their friendship with each other, how they all became a family at the end and, of course, the romance. The ending had me at the edge of my seat and broke my heart. I cannot wait for the next book!

My only complaint is that I wish the story could have stayed being more about the people who stayed behind at war than the war itself, but I understand and dont mind that much.

5/5
First of all: thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
This book is for me what the bible is for christians. I could praise for my lord and savior Rebecca Ross every day before bed.

I know I may be anticipating a little bit, but I can surely say this is (and will be) the best reading of my 2023! I'm speechless, without words, no thought, just shocked of how good this story was to me.
I love d every single bit. Everything was perfect: the worldbuilding, the narrative, the development, the plot, the characters and intrigues. I can't fathom something that could be better because there isn't any. Rebecca Ross create a universe so unique - one that just reminded me so much of Howl's Moving Castle - without forcing any magical rule. Everything makes sense. From how people deal with magic and their gods nowadays - oh my, and these Gods, I can't wait to see more about their myths and the truth behind it - and their relationship towards industrialization.
The environment is a mix of magic and society in the 1800s - even though this is by itself exciting enough, what brings magic is that miss Ross is not just a writer. I can't see her just by that. She is, by all means, a poet that makes every sentence reach something deeps inside us. She has a power with her words that took me by surprise.
I'm completely in love with Iris, Roman and all the things Rebecca Ross wrote. If I could, I'd print this whole book in stones to never be forgotten by humanity. Seriously speaking

Divine Rivals features a world where gods and goddesses battle and recruit humans to their cause. One of those humans was Iris’ brother Forest. With no word from him in months, Iris works as a journalist, competing to become a columnist. Her rival is Roman Kitt- an arrogant and condescending colleague. Iris decides that she must try and cover news of the war that is going unreported. Iris applies to be a frontline correspondent…only to discover that her rival has as well. Luckily, Iris has her penpal Carver to talk to via an heirloom enchanted typewriter. As she gets to know Roman, is he truly as bad as she thought? How far will Iris go to bring news of the war on the front?

Divine Rivals is a beautiful, magical treat of a book. Rebecca Ross writes in a lyrical way, filling the pages with sensory details. I loved the creation of the magical heirloom typewriters and how it allowed Iris and her penpal to lay their souls bare while never knowing the real person on the other end. This was such a great creative choice and never feels contrived. Divine Rivals doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war and who pays the real cost when higher powers fight. There is plenty of love, loss, and learning how to live with grief in this book.

Rebecca Ross writes stunningly vivid scenes and beautiful prose in dire circumstances. Iris and Roman have an achingly heartfelt romance set against the backdrop of a brutal battle between mysterious forces. Iris is a fierce and determined journalist who never stops looking for her brother- it is impossible not to root for her! Roman initially appears cold, but his icy veneer holds secrets beneath. I seriously loved them both and enjoyed seeing them get to know each other beyond the newsroom. Their chemistry was excellent; I couldn’t believe the cliffhanger ending! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!

I would highly recommend Divine Rivals to anyone. Readers who enjoy authors such as Joanna Hathaway (Glass Alliance trilogy), Rosaria Munda (The Aurelian Cycle), and Roshani Chokshi will enjoy Divine Rivals. If you enjoy rivals-to-lovers, magical penpals, and delightfully slow-burn romance with epic stakes- then you need to read this book!

Divine Rivals is available April 4, 2023. Thank you so much to Rebecca Ross, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

I have loved everything Rebecca Ross has written. This book included.
A wartime romance, vengeful gods, passion, and hope. Iris and Roman evolved beautifully into a relationship so natural and pure. I found myself smiling frequently at their easy banter and their love found in a dark and uncertain time.

I consumed this book in a few short days, reading late into the night. Looking forward the continuation of Iris and Roman’s story.

I could not put this one down once I started. I stayed up well past bedtime because I needed to know the ending, then stayed up for longer thinking about the possibilities. I am completely hooked on our protagonists and their journey!
At first I thought it was going to be a bit of a magical wartime “you’ve got mail”, which is a fun little twist, but I figured I had it all figured out. Wrong! I was pleasantly surprised at what an epic tale this is. Edge of your seat battlefront action, will they/won’t they love story, magic, and the always enjoyable good versus evil trope. This one checked off all my boxes.
I laughed, I cried, I cheered. I cannot wait for more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

There is nothing of Rebecca Ross’s that I don’t like. And Divine Rivals is included on that list. This book is SO good. To me it is a steampunk fantasy but with high fantasy elements. In some ways…it reminded me of the world of Fullmetal Alchemist. This is a good thing, I was obsessed with that show (still am tbh) years ago.

Anyways, Iris as a character was delightful. I loved her because I felt that she was real, and I liked her determination.

The book was also atmospheric, something Ross can do really well along with world building. And that here is a triumph. There are so many good quotes to pick through in this book, and I can’t wait to share them with you when the book comes out!

I liked that this book has a different feel to it - also a Narnia feel. Whatever, just know that I loved the feel of this book!!! (This needed like three exclamation points)

Iris and Roman were SUCH a combination. Another aspect of the book that I loved.

Ross is a supremely talented writer, and there are many lyrical sentences in the book that make me pause and think and enjoy.

This book was amazing to read and I’m going to need the sequel ASAP.