“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.

Enemies to lovers, he falls first, and an overall beautiful love story!!! This book was everything I could have asked for and more!!! No one gets mor magical and enchanting as Rebecca Ross and her brilliant writing!!!!

Imagine if World War I had been a conflict between Hades and Persephone, and two rival journalists head to the front lines to report on the war. That’s what you’re getting with this book. It’s not truly a Hades and Persephone retelling, but there are similarities and it gives off that vibe. Since it is set in a fantasy world, it’s not exactly historical fiction, but it features all of the same elements you’d find in one. Add in a little bit of magic (typewriters that act as antiquated email) and a cute 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗹 style romance, and you have 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙨.

It sounds like it shouldn’t work, but oh it does. The setting and atmosphere are so vivid that it’s easy to put yourself in this world, and the characters are all likeable, clever, brave, and witty. I also really enjoy Ross’s writing because it feels deliberate. By that I mean she knows the story she wants to tell and I can trust her to tell it without any pointless or unnecessary meandering.

Overall, it’s a charming book that’s unlike anything I’ve read recently, and I am already dying for the sequel.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amazing, emotional story. I absolutely love the characters and their development in this book. It is a very character driven book and is does have moments of dual pov. The interaction between the main character and her rival is quite innocent in a way and their relationship development had me hooked. I loved their interaction with each other although some would classify it as juvenile banter it fit with the world and characters personality. It was easy to be sucked into the story and the many things that were happening to the FMC. Ross creates a new interesting world full of magic and angry gods and how it effects this family and families around her in many ways. I cannot wait for the next book.

The back-cover copy of a book is supposed to give a reader an idea of what's in store. To set a few expectations early on. To whet the appetite. In the case of Rebecca Ross's latest novel, Divine Rivals, the blurb on the cover does nothing to set expectations. If anything, it obscures just how magical the journey ahead will be.

The tension between Iris and Roman at work is thick enough to cut with a knife, but the barbs they fling back and forth are probably sharp enough to do the job, too. Meanwhile, the vulnerability Iris feels with her magical penpal is a heartening change of pace, and lets us see enough facets of her character to really fall in love with her, and her blooming love story.

I have not always been kind about romance subplots in books, especially in YA fantasy, but Ross makes it work. The fact that she treads so heavily on ground already plowed by classics like You've Got Mail doesn't diminish how effective it is to watch the ice between Iris and Roman melt away. They are equals, butting heads. They are rivals, not yet at the top of their game, but getting there, even if they have to step on each other along the way. And those sparks make their eventual romance feel sweet and real and exciting. Enemies to lovers is a popular trope for a reason, and Ross does it well here. I found myself rooting for them just as much as I ever rooted for Kathleen and Joe.

Setting is hardly even hinted at in the aforementioned back-cover copy, which is tragic because the world they inhabit is a fascinating one. Ross takes a backdrop of magic and gods and legends and gives it a(n early) twentieth-century update, without giving into the temptation to make it steampunk. Wrathful, recently awakened gods are just as ordinary here as getting a sandwich, and the ravages of war are heightened by both advancing technology and mythical creatures. And happily, gender equality and modern acceptance of many sexualities are present here, giving readers nostalgia without the pesky bigotry of the past. (I don't remember a mention of racial equality in the Oath, but we'll give it the benefit of the doubt.)

Divine Rivals was a fun and engaging story about war and family, with a hefty dose of romance running beneath it all. One thing to note, however, is that Divine Rivals is the first book in its series. If you're looking for a happy ending, stop reading early. But if you want to whet your appetite for the sequel, carry on to the bitter end, and pray to every god in the Oath that Ross is typing faster than even Iris or Roman ever could.

(A longer version of this review will appear on RingReads.com on 4 April 2023 at 3:10 p.m. MDT at the following link: https://ringreads.com/2023/04/04/banter-in-rivals-brings-sparks-and-magic/)

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this book and how much i enjoyed it. I went into knowing nothing and only requested because of the high ( 5 star) average on netgalley, and let’s just say it is a worthy rating. Right away I was taken up with the writing style. I love the authors writing it feels so cozy, it felt like I was wrapped up in a soft warm blanket on a cold day.

A book with two rivals, pen pals, a secret identity, falling in love through letters with a touch of magic! I mean what more could you ask for ??? The romance was soo good. Iris & Roman. My beloveds. I love them individual and together so much. I can’t wait for the sequel because WOW that ending. And while I’m waiting I will be reading her other books.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

My heart is in pieces. Ross's writing is so beautiful. I can always picture the scenes she describes with such stunning clarity. She knows how to bring emotion to life on the page and I am always ready and willing to read whatever she writes.
Iris and Roman are rivals competing for the coveted position of columnist at a newspaper. When a war of the gods comes closer to home, they will each make choices that completely change the course of their lives.
The snappy banter, quick wit, and tension between Iris and Roman is delicious. With found family, epistolary elements, and magic, I found that I could not put this down. Divine Rivals has consumed my thoughts and will be a book I look forward to rereading many times.

Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

Wow just wow! This book was amazing. Two writers pitted against each other for the one spot as a columnist at the local newspaper. One who is put together and well off and another who is fighting for enough money to eat each week but both with dark secrets. With a war against gods being fought 6,000 kilometers away the urge to help others and face what they don’t want to admit to themselves will force these two “Divine Rivals” on an adventure neither expected.

This book was so good! Readers should know that while this is considered a fantasy the fantasy aspects are very very light and it more feels like a historical fiction book, at least book 1 does. That doesn’t stop this from being great and while im usually not a fan of historical
Fiction there was enough sprinkle of romance (enemies to lovers trope), found family, and fantasy to keep me from being able to set this one down. Now im just counting down the year or so for book #2 to be released.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author, and the Publisher for this ARC for my honest opinion of the book!

THIS BOOK! It was so good. It was unique and refreshing. The world building and slow burn relationship had me hanging on every word to see what what would happen next. Some points were done more quickly than I wanted simply because I wanted to spend more time in the places and with the characters. I’m already anticipating the next one…at least there better be another!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the gifted eARC!

3 words I would use to describe this book: Emotional. Banter. Romantic

Divine Rivals is the first book in the Iris at the Front duology. DR is a YA/NA novel set against the backdrop of a WWI-ish inspired fantasy world where gods are waring and the citizens are choosing sides. Iris Winnow is from the wrong side of town and works as a journalist at a prominent newspaper alongside her rival, wealthy and arrogant Roman Kitt.

This novel is partially epistolary, emotionally charged, and full of some of the best banter. I could easily have read it in a single sitting if I had the time and no other responsibilities! It’s being billed as You’ve Got Mail meets The Lovely War and that feels very spot on, however this story also feels fresh and unique. I loved Iris and Roman and appreciated that they really did feel like true rivals. This book fully and completely pulled on my heartstrings and left me dying for the sequel! I cannot wait to be back in this world with the sequel, but I know I will be rereading this book again before that comes out, because it’s one I have a feeling will be even better on a second reading!

TW: alcoholic parent. Death of a parent. death of a sibling. Grief. War/descriptions of war/injuries/death.