This was my first Rebecca Ross read and I found it truly amazing. The writing was beautiful and atmospheric and had me drawn in from the very start. It is a compelling story set in the early 1900 about rivals to lovers and these characters and their relationship, their banter was completely captivating. I loved this book and can’t wait for book 2!

Having a hard time writing this review! My emotions are in such a tangle. I love this story. I love the premise, the plot, the twist. The letters sent back and forth with the enchanted typewriters are the best part of this story. They are heart felt, meaningful, and soul baring. The rivalry is perfect and the love story is divine. The ending has killed me!! The more I think about it, the deeper it weighs on me, causing my heart to ache! It consumes my thoughts. I will be miserable waiting for the next book to see what happens next!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rebecca Ross has reached the number 1 spot of my favorite author. Her writing is amazing and beautiful. I will definitely continue to read anything she writes because I am absolutely sure I will love it. Devine Rivals is set in a world in the early 1900s. The story follows two rival journalists, Iris Winnow and Roman C Kitt. Both characters are competing for the position of columnist at the newspaper company they work for. Eventually both become war correspondents in a war between Gods. Both characters have unknowingly been exchanging letters through their magical typewriters that eventually lead to a romance. I absolutely loved the magical and war aspect of the story. War against Gods have always intrigued me. I definitely can’t wait to read and learn more in book 2. I am so grateful that I was giving the opportunity to receive an early copy. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the opportunity. I can’t wait to have a physical copy.

Hopeful and heartfelt, Rebecca Ross has created a world that is reminiscent of our own. Filled with sorrow and the intense desire to find joy amidst the chaos.

Divine Rivals follows two rival journalists through their early careers, spanning from newsroom to war trenches. The world is one of warring god and weary soldiers,of magic typewriters and fated love.

I have fallen deeply for this authors writing style. It has an old world story tellers feel that is often threaded with otherworldly lore. If Ross is a modern day troubadour ( I suspect she is!) she is one who excels in quiet intimate moments.Fans of rivals to lovers who crave a bit more in the world building will easily fall for this particular tale.

The audio-book version of Divine Rivals is spectacular and only feeds into that storyteller feel. It's easy to play this and imagine being bellied up to a large fireplace in an old tavern with a tankard listening to only tales being spun.

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

This was utterly amazing! Divine Rivals is set in what feels like WW1 era but with multiple (warring) gods and enchanted buildings and objects. While it technically is fantasy, it didn’t feel like it. The fantastical elements really take a backseat to the relationship between Iris and Roman. It’s perfect for people that are fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes and want to dip their toes into a fantasy novel. I can’t wait for the sequel!!

Divine Rivals is a Young Adult historical fantasy romance by Rebecca Ross. The gods are at war and 18 year old Iris is stuck in a rough place. She hasn’t heard from her brother in weeks after he enlisted in the military and her addict mom is not much help. She starts writing for the Oath Gazette in an attempt to get a promotion. Her rival, Roman, is the only thing standing in her way. To help pass the time and ease her fears, she begins writing letters to her brother and putting them under her wardrobe. Eventually, she starts getting return letters but they are not from her brother.

I read Ross’ Elements of Cadence duology last year and was blown away. So I was anxious to see what she was coming out with next and the only disappointing thing about this book is that now I have to wait forever for the sequel! This is beautiful written and the romance has so much yearning. With the letters going back and forth, there is kind of that “You’ve Got Mail” aspect to the story which I have a love/hate relationship with. I don’t like it when one of the people involved knows the other person’s identity and continues to lie about it. This book did have a bit of that but I feel like it was resolved well in this story.

The magic elements are there but they are very much in the background, which makes sense. When you think of war correspondents, you don’t always think of them as right in the action so I liked seeing the story unfold from the sidelines. I cried several times reading this book but particularly when the discussions of grief were happening between Iris and her mysterious pen pal.

Rebecca Ross has solidly cemented herself as one of my favorite authors with this book as I have now given three of her books five stars. She writes the atmospheric books that my soul wants. I would gladly read her grocery list because I’m sure it’s beautifully written. I’m already manifesting that netgalley and the publisher will be kind enough to grace me with an early copy of the sequel despite it not having a cover, title, or release date yet.

Rebecca Ross is fast becoming a favorite fantasy author of mine, having first been introduced to her last year with ‘A River Enchanted’. In this first installment of a new series, a historical fiction/fantasy, we deal with many difficult yet relevant issues such as alcoholism, war and death among others. The narrative intertwines a beautiful yet heart breaking story of young Iris trying her best to keep her family together in the midst of all these issues. This was a wonderful story and I am looking forward to its sequel

Rivals-to-lovers in a fantasy setting is everything I’ve always wanted! I love these characters so much. The writing is gorgeous and atmospheric. I cannot wait for the sequel, mainly because THAT ENDING KILLED ME…

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Emotionally, it is devastating. I am not typically a fan of this gritty WWII-esque books, but I was so invested in the mental and emotional well-being of the characters.

Plot-wise, a little dull/uneventful. I hope book 2 dives more into the mythology that runs the world, cause it is confusing. Since the mythology also runs the plot (or at least the backbone of the plot), I feel like that suffers.

5⭐️ (actually like 15 billion bajillion)

REBECCA GIVE ME THE 2ND BOOK RIGHT THIS INSTANT. I NEED IT NOW. NOWWWWWWW.
This book is everything to me. For me, a 5 star read is a book where you get to the end and you immediately want to start it over again. The romance was GIVING what it needed to GIVE. I can’t stop thinking about it. Historical fantasy with magical elements. Highly recommend to anyone who is new to fantasy or loves romance to be at the forefront. I am really excited to see what Rebecca does with this story! I loved the magical aspects of this book and can’t wait to see how she expands the world.

Things I loved:
-Characters, great development, great cast. Amazing.
-Romance, rivals to lovers! GIMME MORE
-The BANTER. The TENSION. I AM PASSING AWAY.
-the plot, the world-building, everything about the writing

Things I didn’t love:
-If I had to choose something, maybe a little bit more fantasy aspects.

Tropes:
-rivals to lovers
-tension and slow burn
-hilarious banter
-found family

TW: grief, death, war violence, alcoholism, drowning (take care of your mental health, message me if you have questions about any of the above TW)

Summary from publisher:
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Let me begin by saying it will be a long, cold and cruel wait for the sequel and I might cry a little. Now, this book was so great. I was so intrigued by the mix between that harsh reality and the mythical elements, but it was done so subtly that the human side of the story’s the one that shines brightest. It’s a story about human connection, love, courage, hopes and dreams. I adored the main characters, their banter and the development of their relationship. Despite not being such a long book, the characters have well developed backgrounds and inner struggles that don’t get trampled by the main plot, instead they enhance it. The side characters are also very charming, and I caught myself rooting for all of them, not just the main duo. I do hope the sequel expands on the mythological side of the book. If you enjoy a character centered story with heartfelt plot sprinkled with a little magic, this one’s for you.

A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In my opinion, Divine Rivals is the best of Rebecca Ross's work so far. THIS BOOK IS STUNNING. It is unique, romantic, TENSE, and heart-wrenching. I can't say enough good things.

First of all, the premise sets it apart from other YA/NA fantasy. The world is a mix of gods and monsters, and World War I. I absolutely love learning about WWI, and I often feel like it's overshadowed by WWII. It's absolutely heart-wrenching to read a fantasy that includes all the elements of WWI and the early 1900s: trench fighting, bombs, gas bombs, typewriters, high class versus low class, etc. I think Rebecca Ross perfectly combines history with fantasy in a way that makes sense and is thrilling to read.

The other thing I LOVE about this book is the romance; it has rivals to lovers, he falls first, and hidden identity. Roman is absolutely divine, and watching his relationship grow with Iris was an absolute pleasure.

This book ends on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see where it goes next. It's has a fabulous story that had me reading far past my bedtime. I can't recommend it enough!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the arc!

Trigger/Content Warnings: one brief open door, war violence and gore, death of a parent

I requested an ARC of this book because the cover was pretty. Little did I know it would have me crying on my couch multiple times before it was over.

This is my first novel by Rebecca Ross and she has now been instantly added to my favorites list. Her writing is so beautiful and I felt such a deep connection with her characters from the very beginning. Also - the romance?!? I love a good rivals-to-lovers, but the relationship Ross created is so much more than a trope. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so emotionally attached to a fictional couple and now I’m very upset I have to wait until book two for more!

If it’s not obvious, I definitely recommend this book!! It’s sublime, transcendent, divine, and all the other synonyms. ;)

Not gonna lie, I’m a bit disappointed in this book...The writing was beautiful! Like Victoria Schwab levels of perfection. However I started to lose interest at around 60% when it became more obvious there was nothing but a sweet slow burn romance to keep me going the remaining 40%. I wound up skimming the rest just to see how the story ended.

Had there been more emphasis on the plot and the gods this story would’ve been an easy 5-star read for me. The ending sets up an interesting storyline for the second book in this series. Not sure if I’ll continue reading…

I feel like Ross is such an underrated writer! I never see people talk about her books as much across social media and it is unfortunate because I personally have read and loved every single book she's written.

The beginning took a while to piece together but it ultimately stays true to what the synopsis says - it gives me all the Lore vibes and I personally loved that book as well. Only instead of taking place in the modern world, it takes place in the 1940s I believe. Iris and Roman were just the perfect enemies to lovers couple! They're both fighting for a spot at their jobs and it was just so entertaining. They're both really likable in their own way.

My only critique is that the descriptions were hard to place at times, but that is typical for a Ross book because she likes to reveal pieces and twists at later times. I'm thinking we're just quite meant to know yet and we'll get more tidbits in book two.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but, wow!
I really loved it!

It's set in a fantasy world that mirrors a lot of reality.

When war breaks out, Iris's older brother goes off to fight.
Iris finds herself taking a journalist job to help pay the bills.
There she meets another journalist, and they eventually fall for each other.

I really loved this unexpected book!

Two centuries ago, the Skyward and Underlings Gods had been defeated and buried but the underling god, Dacre, mysteriously awakened seven months ago and now there's a war between him and another awakened god, the Skyward Enva. Enva's music calls people to war for her and Iris Winnow's brother Forest has heard the call. He makes her promise to stay in school and says he'll be back in a few months when the war is won but after months of not hearing from him, Iris is worried. She's also had to drop out of school, try and take care of her alcoholic mother, and battle for the promotion at the Oath Gazette where she's worked for three months. Roman Kitt comes from privilege but Iris still can't help being drawn to him. As their rivalry has them clashing and bonding, the war on the horizon gets all too real.

She unfolded and read the letter. She felt her breath catch.
This isn’t Forest.

Divine Rivals is the first in series about war, gods, and love. This didn't have quite the explanation or world-building that I was looking for in it's fantasy aspects. I think this was due in part to keeping some mystery, why the gods awakened and the true story of Dacre and Enva has obviously been held back to stretch into a series and the development of the romance between Iris and Roman was more of the focus here. I felt the romance was a little weak, there's a lot of dragged out high emotion, that probably does fit the YA tag, but not a lot of relationship substance to hold onto. I also felt that the second half had this edging more into New Adult, Iris is eighteen and Roman nineteen, with their thoughts and actions and a sex scene; wasn't graphic, more “skin-to-skin” and “luminous” talk.

He deserved this, though. It was his fault that he was his father’s sole heir. He deserved to be miserable.

The time period felt World War I-ish, trams, typewriters, slicked back hair, and braces and piggy-backed on that known atmosphere of war breaking out and how it was real for the countries involved but felt so far away to other countries and they weren't concerned. With Iris and Roman working at a newspaper, there was some good connection to how propaganda works and why papers print and don't print what they do. With Iris feeling frustrated at the paper and wanting to discover what has happened to her brother, it set her up nicely to become a war correspondent and bring her and the reader to the action at the front lines. In the first half, the only fantasy we really get is talk of the gods, a magical grocery store, and the magic behind Iris typing out a letter that she wishes she could send to her brother Forest, sticking it in her closet, having it mysteriously disappear, and someone writing her a letter back. I'm sure it's not a big mystery who is getting the letter and writing back. Magic, wanting to escape from an engagement his father set-up, and missing Iris, Roman takes the steps to join Iris at the front.

He would always be grateful for his decision that night, not so long ago. The night when he decided to write her back.

The second half moved faster with some action, we get to meet some other secondary characters, Dacre's monsters make appearances, and we get Iris and Roman living through some trench warfare. The latter second half has Iris finding out who was writing her, her correspondent knew the whole time, working through those feelings, and then the last twenty percent has Iris and Roman making a commitment. The ending also has Dacre showing up, along with someone from Iris' past, and we get Iris and Roman separated to have to find each other in the next book. The brief myth we got of the five gods sounds interesting but there just wasn't enough invested in the fantasy elements in this to necessarily make me want to read the second, the same with the romance between Iris and Roman. Enva and Dacre had a very Persephone and Hades vibe but, again, they didn't really show up. This basically had the dragged out to stretch into a series slowness and even though I have questions, I'm not sure my attention was grabbed enough to want answers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the eARC of Divine Rivals!

I loved this book from start to finish. I loved the letter writing, the introduction of the characters, and the host of friends collected along the way. This has become one of my favorite Rebecca Ross books -- and she is now an instant author purchase for me.

I loved the typewriter magic, the descriptions of the characters' emotions, and how real the whole world felt.

10/5 stars for me. One of my top books of the year.

"I think we all wear armor. I think those who don't are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I've learned anything from those fools, it is that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. Sometimes, I feel the same as you: I can't risk having people behold me as I truly am. But there's also a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that tells me, 'You will miss so much by being so guarded.'"

I absolutely adored this book! Set as a historical fantasy with fighting gods, Iris Winnow decides to go to the front as a corresponder to report on the war. Throw in her rival, Roman Kitt, and we're set for fun banter and the most adorable rivals to lovers! Meanwhile, Iris is writing letters to another mysterious man & able to bare her soul in away she's never been able to with anyone else.

Historical mythological fantasy meets You've Got Mail "esque" love letters and rivalry.

I read it in less than 24 hours & I already cannot wait for the next one!

"He thought about who he had been before he had met her. Before she had stepped into the Gazette. Before her letter had crossed his wardrobe door. He thought about who he wanted to be now that her hand was in his. He would always be grateful for that decision that night, not so long ago. That night when he decided to write her back."

Divine Rivals is an absolutely charming YA Historical Romantasy set in a fantastical WWI-esque era world where two gods are at war with one another. At the heart of the novel is Iris Winnow and her arch nemesis Roman Kitt, both columnists at a newspaper in a large city called Oath. When Iris, in desperation to reach her brother, who has gone off to fight in the war, types a letter on a magical typewriter gifted by her grandmother and shoves the letter under her wardrobe, she mysteriously receives a response, not from her brother, but from someone else who seems to share her same passions. Iris is soon confronted with another loss and sets out to cover the war from the front lines and is soon joined by none other than her rival.

Predictable enemies to lovers trope, but utterly delightful in its execution. Winnow and Kitt are an adorable couple that you cannot help falling in live with. Ross also does a phenomenal job at world building and leaves ample room to expand this new universe, its characters, and its religion in follow up books.

Recommended for fans of YA romance and fantasy and is clean enough for younger teens.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Rebecca Ross for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Iris Winnow is a newspaper columnist working alongside her nemesis Kitt Roman