This was SO good! My first book by the author and it did not disappoint! I felt every emotion come off the pages and it was utterly bewitching reading this story!

Will definitely reread!

To be completely transparent, I DNF'd this book at around 40%. This was entirely my fault because, while this book is well written and seems interesting, I'm not someone who enjoys books that take place during wartime. I'm still rating this four stars because I genuinely think this was a well-written book; I'm just not the intended audience for it.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I already knew Rebecca Ross was one of my all time favourite authors but Divine Rivals really solidified the fact that I will read anything she writes and absolutely love it!

Set in a world that feels very like Europe in the early 1900s, it follows the story of two rival journalists turned war correspondents— Iris Winnow and Roman C Kitt. Right off the bat, we’re launched into their delightful rivalry as they compete for the coveted position of columnist at their magazine, but when Iris faces a personal loss she decides to leave her job and take up the position on the front lines as a war correspondent, taking her 600 kilometres away from her home and Roman. Unbeknownst to either of them, they had been exchanging letters for months via magical typewriters, slowly falling for each other while continuing to compete / annoy the other person in real life. While the story is largely told from Iris’ POV, around 30% is in Kitt’s, in which he fulfills my all time favourite trope for a MMC— he becomes the worlds biggest simp and spends large portions of his sections thinking about how much he adores Iris. Perfection!

One of the things I love most about Rebecca Ross’ writing is how she writes romance. She has such a talent for using the smallest moments and character quirks as a way to build intimacy, and Roman & Iris’ love story was so beautifully done and perfectly encapsulates the kind of love that develops between two people who all they have is each other. As war correspondents, their lives are constantly in danger and the story takes on the urgency you’d expect for a romance set on the front lines. Although things developed quickly between them once they realised their feelings, I thought it was completely believable with both their personalities and the plot pacing. I found myself tearing up on more than one occasion which is very unlike me!

The setting and the backdrop of a war between gods was wonderful and very unique. I loved how it stepped away from the classic medieval style fantasy setting in favour for one that reminded me of England circa WWI— there’s cars, modern plumbing and electricity, but the customs, clothing and technology feel delightfully retro. As with all of Ross’ books, the atmospheric writing was absolutely top notch and easy to lose yourself in the setting. The side characters were wonderfully developed and I can’t wait to learn more about them in the sequel, especially Marigold and Keegan.

I am absolutely dying for the sequel with the heart wrenching way Divine Rivals, and can’t wait to learn more about Iris’ brother Forest and hoping to see how Dacre’s plans come to fruition. I couldn’t recommend Divine Rivals more and will be shouting about this story for months!

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to review this book! I love this author and their writing style. But there was more misses in this book than others I have read from this author. The plot was so interesting to me and yet we didn’t get really any of it and was pretty underdeveloped. The relationship that formed between the two main characters was good until it happened so fast and felt really unrealistic. It was hate until to was instant love. I really wanted to like this book because I usually like this authors work but this one wasn’t for me. 2.5 ⭐️

What a cliffhanger! This book has it all: action, romance, enemies to friends. I loved the concept and am looking forward to the second book.

No hate, but I wish the cover for the U.S version was the same as the U.K. version, because the U.S. version’s cover is just not aesthetically pleasing. As for the book itself, I thought it to be a fantastic read. Iris Winnow has a lot of personality in the sense that she is headstrong and willing to be spontaneous for the greater good. I really liked the pacing of the book because we got to see her at the newspaper and the warfront. My only critique would be the strong case of instalove, and I really dislike the trope of separation. That’s okay though, I guess I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next book!

Divine. This book is simply put: divine. I am obsessed. I was within pages. Ok, lie. I was from the cover and title. The pages just furthered it. I do not know how I will go on until we get the next one.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. What Kitt and Iris go through really pulls you in different directions. Iris is such a brave and fearless character even if she doesn't realize it. Kitt is...how can I describe him and what he did? He's devastating. In a good way.

I have to say, the way this plot line evolved, I was worried about this being a similar, modern version of Up Close and Personal. You know what? I still am with that cliffhanger.

Read this book.
It's Divine.
It's Sublime.
It's Transcendent.

I don't think Rebecca Ross can write a book that I will not love. The flow of her words is just magical no matter the story and I am swept away. Divine Rivals is not different and might actually be my favorite of her novels. Enemies to Lovers, YA Fantasy, Historal fiction all woven together in a way that had me turning page after page.

Iris and Roman may very well be my favorite fictional couple. Roman is so determined and brave and protective of Iris and reading the section of him trying to get to her and her being just out of reach... I think I died a little. Iris refusing to give up and searching for him, oh my heart!

The fact that this ended on a cliffhanger, is not officially published for another 5 months and then having to wait for a sequel is going to be one of my greatest literary anxieties!

I will need to read this again and again. It was just *chefs kiss*

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my e-ARC of Divine Rivals.
I’ll start off by saying this book is a masterpiece of YA fiction. This is story the harsh realities of war and how love, loss, grief, perseverance, and friendship are interwoven into how how one survives it. The writing was beautiful and descriptive and the character development perfect. Iris and Kitt are the type of characters you want to root for, that you want to have the HEA, even when you know everything is working against them. The side characters were just a strong as the main as well. What I loved is the overall storyline of the Gods War didn’t overshadow the people fighting but you still constantly wanted to know WHY this was happening. I can say I did not predict the ending, it was an insane cliffhanger that makes me sad knowing I read this 4 months before release and I’ll have to wait on a sequel. The book was THAT good and you are going to want to read it.

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD
The characters, the war, the setting - I LOVED IT ALL
Iris is fierce but gentle and I love her so much
Roman was SO in love with her honestly their story made this book so much better
Dacre and Enva had a fascinating past, one I wish to learn more about

Thank you to netgalley for this arc!

That's how you write a love story. A most excellent enemies to lovers love story, which is the most best of tropes. MOST BEST.

Anyhoodle,

This book has the vibe of 1940s wartime with a sprinkle of gods and magic. You've got a girl going through some shit, trying her best, broke and struggling. You've got a rich guy, under his father's thumb, suffocating, bleeding from his own heart wounds. They're fighting for the same job. They each have a begrudging respect for the other's talents, but they ultimately want to win. We follow them as their dislike morphs and a romance blooms in the midst of tragedy.

Ugh my emotions ache, all of them. This book made me weep like a bitch. Messy, snotty, weeping bitch. So much pain and anguish, written so well that you feel it a little bit too, but, and really there needs to be a but for me because I don't read misery porn, the romance, omgah.

It's so, so rare for me to read a romance in a series and actually feel the like the next book is going to bring something to the table in that respect. So many romances end up with some implausible bullshit reason, or some fucking weak ass shit reason that a couple will fall down the metaphorical romance mountain and need to climb their asses back the fuck up again in the next book. <i>I hit my head and don't remember my love. There was a terribly weak misunderstanding and now we hate each other. I saw him in a compromising position and never asked questions and refuse to listen to his explanation.</i>

I rarely give a single shit about a couple in a book. I get excited and into the build up of the romance, the chase. Then they get together and it's like.. eh now you're kind of irritating. But with these two crazy kids, I'm like NO FUCK YOU FATE, DON'T YOU DO THIS TO THEM, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN HOT GARBAGE THEY DESERVE JOY. How very dare you.

On which note, Iris. Jesus Christ on a cracker, this woman has got just really, really shit luck. What are we going to drag Iris through next time? Does she get any respite? Does my heart get any respite?

So one downside to getting an ARC is that this book doesn't even come out until April, so what do you think that means for the sequel? It has not a speck of information, let alone a release date. Jesus wept.

Did you notice that I didn't even bitch about a single thing ? Not a single thing, unless you count the bitching about crappy romances and bitching about wanting but not having even a glimmer of a release date for the next one.

One of my favorite books is “daddy long legs”by Jean Webster. This was, in a way, reminiscent of one of the plot points. just- way cooler, adding in a war and gods.

Enemies to lovers, mysterious secret admirers, beautiful prose, and a god war- what’s not to like? Rebecca Ross is a lyrical beautiful story teller, and I loved this. The ending is driving me crazy, and I can’t wait for the next one!


Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me an arc in exchange for my honest review!

One of the problems with reading one of your most anticipated reads as soon as it hits your Kindle is that you have to wait so long for the rest of the world to see how great it is. Oh and having to wait over a year for the next book.

Divine Rivals reminds me of a WWI story but with a fantasy twist. Iris and Roman are rival writers at the Oath Gazette. One night Iris decides to write a letter to her brother who is off fighting in the gods war, she does not expect a reply but one comes anyway. A friendship forms between her and her mystery pen pal but as the war rages on Iris knows she needs to do more.

This story has everything I love in a book. Dual POVs, romance, adventure and page turning twists. I loved Roman, Iris and so many more of supporting cast. I flew through this one and will be rereading it again before it publishes. I cannot wait till everyone can get their hands on it so I can talk about that ending...

Eternal thanks and gratitude to the publisher for providing this advance copy.

If there is one thing that Rebecca Ross knows and understands it is magic. The magic in every day things, the magic in letting go, the magic in vulnerability, the magic in yourself, the magic in nothing left to lose. Both literally and figuratively everything in Divine Rivals is touched by that little spark of magic.

Divine Rivals is simultaneously uplifting and terrifying. The reader begins with the two main characters - Roman C. Kitt and Iris Winnow. As you follow their sagas the world slowly starts to fall into place around them - and beyond. In a world built around so much terror the main characters are beacons and symbols of vulnerability and hope.

Make no mistake, this book is quite dark both in tone and plot. The war is real - whether the citizens unaffected by it choose to feel it and believe it or not. However, the small seeds of magic and hope grow and bloom like most things when nurtured. While it is described as fantasy I would also lean towards saying it has magical realism elements. There are elevators, there are delis, there are grocery stores that magically rotate stock so only what you can afford with what you have on you is shown, angry vengeful gods, and heirloom typewriters capable of sending messages across thousands of kilometers if only you sneak it under your closet door first.

I am excited to share my review on instagram closer to the release date and fully intend on buying a physical copy as soon as it hits the shelves.

I loved this book! The focus was the relationship between Iris and Roman, and it was so well done. The tension between them was believable and beautifully written - especially on Roman's side, since he was the one who knew they were corresponding over letters. I enjoyed seeing Iris's narration of their relationship, since I knew the motivations behind Roman's actions and she didn't. The development over the course of the story both from the letter-writing angle and the actually-in-person angle was paced so well with the tension and confusion and attraction. It also handled the reveal of Roman's identity in a way I appreciated, since I am often frustrated with the actions and reactions of characters in this sort of "corresponding anonymously with someone I know in real life who knew the truth the whole time" situation. Iris and Roman's relationship was supposed to be the highlight, and it was.

The worldbuilding was also detailed and unique. It's a second-world fantasy with warring gods who compel their citizens to fight for them in a proxy war, vaguely based on WWI in terms of technology and warfare. The aesthetics were impeccable.

I will say I didn't much like the ending and the direction it appears the author is taking the story, but I am still anxious to see what happens and invested in Iris, Roman, and the world.

This book gave me chills! I adored the plot and synopsis but diving in and reading this book was an experience unlike any other. I can really only compare Ross' incredible storytelling chops to that of Olivie Blake and that is a high compliment coming from me!

This book was phenomenal and I can only hope this review will do the book, and the experience I had reading it, justice. As soon as I started reading this book, I had an immediate connection with the characters; I cared what happened to them. I teared up when they were grieving and became angry when they were. In short, I fell in love with these characters. The ending left me in shambles because now I have to wait doubly long for book 2 since the book isn't even published yet! Ross's writing was masterful and emotional and pulled me deeper into the story. I loved the historical-fiction feel to the story though it took place in a fantasy world. My only critique is that I wish there was a map (I don't know if there will be one in the final copy) so I could better visualize where the characters were located. This was very much a character-driven story which I tend to be a fan of.

I LOVED this book. Rebecca Ross never disappoints. I want to go on a little tangent, and point out to all of my friends that Rebecca Ross has the most unique stories. Every time I open one of her books, I know that I am going to read something that another author has not written.

The biggest strengths of this book are the characters and the story line. Iris and Rowan are two writers who come from different sides of the track. They are rivals, but what Iris doesn't know is that Rowan knows more about her than she would like. Good thing she doesn't know! Or is it? They are beautifully written, while also being quite funny. I laughed out loud a couple times at their witty banter. The idea of two type writers that can send letters to each other was such a neat idea! I love that it is in the middle of a magical war, and that it is enemies to lovers.

The biggest weakness I found in the book is the world building. The idea of the world building is great, but I was also sort of unsure of an idea of "when" this was taking place or what things looked like. I also felt like there were a few random pieces thrown in there that will either become useless bits of information or serve a purpose later. Like the fiance and her family's part in the war.

Overall, I was thrilled to read this book. I stayed up all night. The biggest disappoint is that I now have to wait so long to find out what happens!

Five stars for Divine Rivals! This took me by complete surprise and I loved it. The story, the characters, the progression of the plot and the development was incredible. This is my second Rebecca Ross book and she has very quickly become one of my favourite authors.

The rivals trope is an absolute favourite of mine and I thought it was executed perfectly. Iris and Roman play so well off of one another and their relationship progression left me giddy. I thought the war setting was portrayed well, tiptoeing that line of seriousness without making the tone dreadful or taking the subject matter too lightly. The entire novel set up the mythology and fantasy of the world well and I’m really looking forward to that being explored more thoroughly in the sequel. The ending left me a little broken hearted and I’m not excited about the wait for the sequel but regardless, I’ll be there the day it comes out, ready to see where Roman and Iris go next.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this Digital ARC!

Divine Rivals met all of my expectations and then some. The slow burn romance was beautiful. I just loved the way they found each other and how their relationship evolved. They were truly soulmates.

The world building was impeccable and had so many layers. I really enjoyed the mythology and how it was woven throughout. I have so many questions and cannot wait to read the next installment of this series.

I would have loved this book if it was just a romance or if it was just a war drama, but the combination made it unforgettable. So good!

This was my first Rebecca Ross novel, but it certainly will not be my last. She has a gift for making you feel completely immersed inside the story. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.