This book was SO amazing and I highly recommend it.

Here’s what I loved about Divine Rivals:
• Iris is so courageous and I love
her
• the perfect blend of fantasy and
history
• the letters!
• immersive and captivating writing
• THE ROMANCE
• the themes of hope and joy in
times of hardship

You will be turning pages, falling in love, and shedding tears before it’s over. I need book two asap!

Tip, read this book with a bestie like @and.a.good.book (but she’s mine so no stealing) for optimal enjoyment and someone to scream with.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: one very mild scene
TW: war violence, death of a parent, gas warfare

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I loved so much about this story. Enemies to Lovers, writers, magical typewriters, intelligent characters, and a You’ve Got Mail theme.

And with all the magic, let’s remember that there is also loss, death, and warring ancient Gods in this war time novel.

Ross penned such a dark, beautiful tale of loss and finding love in tragic world.

I cannot wait to read the sequel.

Rebecca Ross' Divine Rivals is beautifully written. The scenery is very rich and vibrant and the characters will pull you in immediately. I will definitely be going back to read this one again.

A fantasy book, where 2 journalist fall in love during a time of war?
Sign me up!

I loved this book. Fantasy romance, in a story reminiscent of historical romance. I can't say enough good things about this book. It was unique and I don't know how I will wait for the next one!

Iris and Roman are aspiring journalist, fighting for a prestigious position at the column. Roman and Iris start off as my most favorite thing. RIVALS! muahaha. Slowly through their writing they begin to see something else in each other. The slow burn is the best part, am I right? Through her writing Iris deals with trauma and grief. Writing letters to herself (on her enchanted typewriter) she feels free to open up and express a lot of emotions should would keep to herself normally. Until, someone starts writing back.
All of this happens in a world ruled by sleeping god, who have recently awakened and started a war. For funsies.

This was such a unique take on fantasy romance! So refreshing!
Gimme book 2 asap! Thanks <3

I devoured this one in less than 24 hours and tried not to sob during most of it; not sure if I can give higher praise than that. Rebecca Ross really makes you feel what the characters are going through, their heartbreak and determination. Set in a relatable world, where resurrected dead gods are begin to stir, and pull the world into war.

Iris is a reporter seeking to write the truth, and desperately missing her brother, who has disappeared at the war front; she stars writing him letters, which through the magic of this world, wind up in the hands of her rival at the paper where she works-and this rival starts writing her back. Things move beyond the sheltered office of their newspaper, to the very war front itself, and I was eager to follow them every step of the way.

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes an author's writing style just scratches me the wrong way, and I think Rebecca Ross is one of those cases. My biggest issue was dialogue: it felt constructed more than it felt natural, and often took me out of the story. Secondary to dialogue was romance. Iris and Roman were both interesting as characters, but I just wasn't convinced or compelled by their dynamic together. I'm also exhausted by the constant marketing of books like this as "enemies to lovers" when they are literally just. rivals. competitors. a whole other host of words that do more justice to the nature of the relationship.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book based on the description. I also wasn’t sure how I would feel reading about a journalist. I am so glad I took the leap and read this book! I absolutely loved the characters, the scenery and the plot! Rebecca Ross has such a way with words and characters that I should have known!

Iris and Roman are rivals to lovers. The author did a great job of pacing their relationship. I loved that we got both viewpoints from the characters. Having those separate viewpoints really helped with character development. The author did a great job of weaving mythology throughout the story. I loved the anecdotes that were shared. It left the reader wanting more!

The author did a great job writing Iris. Iris had a lot of baggage to unpack in the beginning and the author did a great job introducing flaws and issues. I enjoyed seeing Iris grow in confidence in herself throughout the book.

Roman was a such a fun character to read about! He was complex and had a lot of his own issues. That didn’t overshadow Iris at all but instead complemented her story.

Overall this book was beautifully written. I loved reading about the mythology. I greatly enjoyed all the characters and their storylines! My only complaint how book 1 ended! I definitely need more!

This book is far from perfect but what it achieves is absolute perfection.

“Divine Rivals” gives all the fun of office tension between Iris, a girl of humble upbringing with a brother fighting in the war and Roman a rich kid with something to prove as they both vie for the top spot with the town Gazette. As the battle field moves closer to home Iris finds that her letters are going to an unknown reader and seeks comfort in his words as she braces to report on the front lines but all is not as it seems and if she’s not careful she might find herself going against more than just the opposing army.

Let’s get the problems out of the way because I’m not sure whether it’s intentional or just a consequence of diverting focus to character over plot (which really doesn’t deserve the negative connotation of consequence but here we are). This book weaves together a thread of magic to account for the letters/typewriter which works however the mythology behind the war itself is kind of muddy. It almost felt like a Hades/Persephone like tale but overall the war itself is used as a catalyst to drive characters and apart as well as together with the literal Gods hiding in the background until the curtain call.

That being said the characters in this story shine from the moment we meet them. On their own, Iris and Kitt are fantastic and their rivalry is so well done as it’s masked under this heavy annoyance that everyone else can put a name too but they refuse to acknowledge. The moments with them face to face and then apart we’re beautiful as they had this dynamic that was really beautiful and I enjoyed every single second we spent with them.

Overall, and with a lot of credit to the writer as she has never disappointed me, I think focusing on the characters and their relationships both romantic and otherwise will really drive home the emotions needed for the next book as the cliffhanger makes me believe it’s going to be absolute angst and agony.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

“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.”

Overview—Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a young adult historical fantasy novel that introduces a world filled with warring gods, the mortals who fight for them, and the two rival journalists who, through a magical connection and the act of letter writing, forge an unbreakable bond that will follow them to the front lines of battle. While I own a majority of Rebecca Ross’ books, this is the first novel of hers that I have actually read and all I can say about this book is wow, just wow. Everything about this book is simply stunning, between the engaging plot, the beautiful writing style, the immersive worldbuilding, and the complex characters and their tender rivals-to-lovers relationship. I am just a puddle of emotions right now and this heartbreakingly beautiful book is to blame.

The Writing— The writing style and prose of this book have to be some of my favorite aspects of the novel as a whole. The writing style has a sort of descriptive, lyrical quality to it which makes the story feel as though it is truly the characters’ to tell, an aspect which is heightened through the epistolary style that is included throughout the novel, having the narrative itself being interspersed with the tender, emotion-filled letters between the novel’s two protagonists, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt. The story itself is gorgeous and so wonderfully written, providing a sense of light in the otherwise darkness that is the World War One style war that is raging between the gods and the mortals; I mean, the writing itself has a sort of light, airy quality to it despite the darker parts of the novel’s plot and, because of this, the prose is filled with both heartbreak and hope, sorrow and sunlight (wow, that could be a young adult book title). Long story short, the writing and the story itself got me in my feels.

The Worldbuilding & the Atmosphere— The worldbuilding and the entire atmosphere of this book are simply immaculate and masterfully crafted. Over the course of the novel, various aspects of Iris and Roman’s world both past and present begin to unfold and reveal themselves, slowly coming into focus and building a fuller, albeit not complete, image of the world that they live in, which will hopefully be expanded upon in the sequel. Rebecca Ross has a gift when it comes to worldbuilding so that it truly feels as though you as the reader are navigating Iris and Roman’s world alongside them, traveling through the streets of Oath and all the way to the front lines of battle. And the atmosphere? Much like the writing style, the atmosphere of this novel has a sort of ethereal quality steeped in the hidden glitter of magic. Newsrooms, dusty, crowded streets and secluded, forest-side towns, war on the horizon, being secreted away with candles and an antique typewriter, if this book doesn’t scream atmospheric and a writer’s bliss, I don’t know what does. I do not know how else to describe it, this book is simply magic.

The Characters— And the characters? Ugh, I simply adore them. I could not help but fall in love with both Iris and Roman from the first page; they are both such complex and multi-layered characters who you cannot help but root for and become emotionally attached to, especially as their narratives unfold and we begin to learn more about them.

Iris is such an incredibly strong, brave, and resilient character, especially in the face of everything going on around her. Iris is trying to keep her family together—her older brother is fighting for the goddess Enva in the war and her mother has succumbed to addiction as a result, leaving Iris responsible for attempting to keep their lives afloat. Roman, on the other hand, is seemingly arrogant and cold, raised with a privileged lifestyle, and self-assured in his ability to win the columnist position that both he and Iris are competing for. But there is more to Roman than meets the eye—he is attempting to break free of the expectations placed upon him by his family as well as dealing with his guilt over an accident that occurred several years ago for which he is responsible. In this way, Iris and Roman are both unique characters with vastly different backgrounds and upbringings, but there is a thread (or, you know, magical typewriters) that binds and connects them even deeper than their rivalry—they are two characters who despite the troubled, broken world around them, including in their own lives, possess an insurmountable amount of hope and faith in themselves and in each other that is simply beautiful to witness.

And Iris and Roman’s rivals-to-lovers romance is literally everything to me. Seeing their relationship unfold on the page from both of their perspectives (this is why multi-POV novels are superior, I don’t make the rules) is simply beautiful and I adored seeing their relationship slowly shift and grow over the course of the novel. They have quickly grown to become one of my OTPs, I just love them so much.

Conclusion— Overall, Divine Rivals is a gorgeous and beautifully written historical fantasy novel that I cannot recommend enough, and I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this book next year. Meanwhile, I’ll be sitting here eagerly and impatiently waiting (over a year!) for the sequel because that cliffhanger. This book is not even out yet and I already need the next book now.

From reading the synopsis, I felt that I would enjoy this book, but my expectations were blown out of the water! The writing? Beautiful. The plot? Enthralling. The characters? Magnificent. The ending? Devastating. This book captured me from the very first page and didn't let go until the very end. I loved the setting and I felt that the WW2 style fantasy world was so unique and made for the perfect backdrop to the story. This is a book about war, love, sacrifice, and forging connections in the most unexpected places. This is not only one of my favorite fantasy books of the year, but one of my favorites in general! You have to pick this book up if you love enemies to lovers, MCs who are writers, heart-pounding action, beautiful writing, and great world building. 5/5 stars FOR SURE!

This strangled my heart and brought joy to my soul.

Before starting this, I had the audacity to think, “I’m excited to read this, but it probably won't be as good as A River Enchanted.” Rebecca Ross made me choke on those words. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I stopped breathing at three scenes, squealed, did victory dances, laughed like an idiot and CRIED like a baby. I’m talking snot dripping, eyes flowing so I can’t see, tears. Once it started, I couldn’t stop it. Now my family is questioning why they keep me.

I'm not always this way. Most of the time, I'm a picky brat with high expectations and a heart you have to win by fighting. BUT every so often a book comes along that transfixes me with the writing, characters I love and plot that I feel was written just for me, and before you know it, I'm a raw nerve and a complete mess.

I have read more intense, and action filled books, but a story doesn't have to have every trigger warning or be absolutely traumatizing to be great. When I say a book is perfect, I'm not just referring to the technical perfection. Although it is a large factor. The excellence is in the experience and mine was everything.

“The right books find you at JUST the right moments.” -Rebecca Ross

Rebecca Ross’s writing is like being a kid and discovering fairy tales for the first time. That feeling of excitement and wonder. My inner child is so happy. It pulls you in and gives you beauty grief and…..hope.

“I grew something living in a season of death.”
“…this world is about to change. The days to come will only grow darker. And when you find something good? You hold onto it.”

I listened to the playlist for this while reading and LET. ME. TELL. YOU!! when a song played that happened to fit up perfectly with what was happening, I died. You want to get the most out of this…. Read at a slower pace. Really savor it and listen to the Spotify playlist while you do. Just search "divine rivals" on Spotify.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
I must wait SIX months for this to come out and then wait AGAIN for the next one.

THANK YOU NetGalley for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Characters/Depth/Growth – 10
Atmosphere/World - 10
Writing Style - 10
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Love/Relationships - 10
Enjoyment/Memorable - 10

Total: 70
Divided by 7 = 10.00 (5 stars)

The review that I write for this book will not be enough, dear reader, to tell you how absolutely beautiful this book is.

Rebecca Ross has weaved an office romance, a war of Gods, and an enemies to lovers that will knock the socks off of your feet.

I don’t cry easily, but it felt like Ms. Ross reached into my chest and held my heart the entirety of me reading this book.

This book made me realize things about myself. This book inspired me, this book made me want to take off a piece of my armor and be vulnerable.

I have read all of this author’s work. This is my favorite book of her’s, to date.

The ROMANCE, guys. THE freaking heart wrenching ROMANCE. This may be one of my most favorite couples I’ve ever read, due to the imperfect parts of them coming together to make something incredibly real, and good.

As I was reading this book, I felt completely encapsulated in the world the author wove. I felt like I was in the middle of the war. I was in the middle of the romance. I could feel the pain and love and every extreme in between. I felt the impossibilities and the possibilities.

This book is completely atmospheric and you will be sucked in and forget you’re reading all together.

This book does end on a cliffhanger. I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THE SECOND BOOK.

I can’t wait for all of you guys to be able to crack open this book, and feel the absolute beauty and awe I have felt as I read this book. If you’ve ever seen a waterfall and felt that ‘feeling’ of wonder, this book gives that same feeling. Grandiose and mind blowing.

I received this arc from NETGALLEY and the publishers. I can not tell you guys enough THANK YOU’s in the world, as this is a book I have been honored to read. I am beyond thankful for this e-arc.

A nice ease into fantasy writing for young adults. It read like an old world fantasy version of "You've Got Mail". I would've liked a bit more of the enemies to lovers story, it was rushed and I wanted more slow burn between Iris and Roman. Lots of room for more in the next story.

This novel was not at all what I expected, in all of the best possible ways. The writing is beautifully atmospheric, and the world was bleak, but enchanted. This book sucked me in right away, and I devoured it in one sitting. I also felt it was really well-balanced in terms of setting up the world, the romance, and the war and its mythological undercurrents. It definitely set us up for a wild ride in the next book, which I am dying to get my hands on.

Thank you so much to Rebecca Ross and St. Martin's Press for sending me an e-arc of this book. I'm so happy to have read it and on the edge of my seat for the next one!

How do I even begin to describe the way this book affected me?

When I began reading it, I had the starting idea of how I'd probably rate it.
(You ever read a book and you just know you're going to love it?)
When I was over halfway through, I could just about put into general terms what I'd rate it.
(You ever been confident you're loving a book but you can't quite express your love for it in proper sentences yet?)
And now having finished it I find myself a blurred embrace of emotions for why I'd rate it the way I'd rate it.
(You ever fall in love with a book and it completely wrecked your emotions in the best way possible and you're trying your best to express all the things this book made you feel but you're not sure you're making sense??)

I smiled and laughed at the rival antics...I openly cried at the relatable vulnerabilities being shared...I smiled some more knowing what the characters did and didn't know about each other...I ached for the losses and I kept hope to the surface in response to the comfort that was provided...and on and on... I never knew my heart was capable of holding so many emotions at once in a warm embrace.

I loved reading the different povs of Iris and Roman! I loved watching their love story bloom throughout the hard and uncertain times of a godly war and reading the secrets they shared through their magic letters and knowing as the reader they were rivals half-unknowingly becoming vulnerable with and falling for each other.

The way Rebecca J Ross [as Iris and Roman] wrote of how to cope with pain, loss, and grief was beautiful! This whole story was like a gesture of someone lovingly putting their hands on your cheek and wiping away your tears and telling you everything will be alright, then sealing that promise with a gentle forehead kiss.

I felt every ache and comfort and hope offered as Iris and Roman's story unfolded.

I didn't want this book to end because I loved it so so much, but at the same time I did want to read to the end just to know that these two would make it out okay... And that ending only added to the blur of emotions I was already feeling! Definitely not what I expected, but I enjoyed it as it fit very well with how the story was blossoming.

I will adore this story forever for all the emotions it evoked from me!

Wow! Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an early glimpse of this wonderful adventure. Ok, so I was a little nervous when I realized this might turn out to be an actual war book, because that is not really my thing. But man oh man, am I glad I held on for the ride. It was a beautiful read. The epilogue gave my chills. Another masterpiece from Rebecca Ross! Can’t wait for the next one!

2.5 stars that I'm rounding up. This was an interesting story about a girl who's brother goes away to war. When she doesn't hear from him, she decides to ditch her city life and head to the warfront as a correspondant for a news outlet. It was an interesting story, just as that.

But add in to it - the fight is not between countries like we think. Two gods have awakened and are warring. Both gods are capable of comeplling men to fight for them. Iris is in the area of a god that plays an instrument and the music compells some to fight. The other god is a mystery and is thought to be brutal and without mercy.

I loved the story right there. The part I didn't love was the love story. I was okay with the new struggle and even their talking in the office. But once the correspondence started, I lost some interest. The story kind of bogged down with their big written statements and I didn't love their sorting through their dramas. The warfront was a compelling part of the story but I'm sad this ended not concluded but open-ended. I think I'll look for book 2 to see how this story continues because the warfront and the gods and their creatures was very fascinating, and I'd love to know more!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

From the unique setting to the wonderful characters, this book has so much to love. Iris and Roman were fierce and brilliant and I cheered for them every step of the way. Rebecca Ross created a vivid, brutal world that sucked me in on every page. I can’t wait to read more of this story in book two.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

a heartfelt thank you to rebecca ross, for continuing to churn out books that somehow feel like a hug and a razor scooter to the ankle at the same time.

i was given an arc of divine rivals in exchange for an honest review. and it’s no word of a lie when i say that it was one of, if not the best book i’ve ever read. and i expected to like it given that everything i’ve read by RR in the past has been an instant favourite. but i was <i>not</i> expecting it to blow me away like this.

i genuinely don’t know what my favourite aspect of this book is. i think the characters, the plot, the setting and pace are each masterful on their own— but the real magic is in how they all weave together as this story unfolds.

i never knew i needed a story like this so badly. that somewhere deep down i subconsciously YEARNED for this book. a setting reminiscent of the first world war but with undertones of magic and newly woken gods, a pair of characters bound by rivalry and magic typewriters and a love that neither of them wants to admit to at first, a story about war that somehow manages to thread hope (and heart-wrenchingly sweet romance) into every brutal occurrence and heartbreaking reality that comes with that kind of conflict. it’s so unique in its concept, and RR’s writing is what really makes it special. she has a way of crafting characters and worlds that makes you care about them SO MUCH. to the point where you’re at the edge of your seat, biting your nails and praying that everyone you’ve fallen so hard for over the last however-many pages makes it out safe.

the fact that it’ll be several years until the next book, after an ending like that, may be the thing to finally break my freaking spirit. i didn’t cry but oh boy it was CLOSE. i’ll be looking forward to this book’s official release so i can buy it and hold it in my hands and annotate the everloving shit out of it and hug it and HURL IT ACROSS THE ROOM.

e-arc provided by Netgalley!

Favorite Rebecca Ross to date. I love the idea of the magical letters and always I love enemies to lovers even If I think the enemies portion here was more rivals and not truly hating each other's guts. Either way loved this and I'm excited for the next one whenever that happens