Rebecca Ross is quite the storyteller - I found myself going through a rollercoaster of emotions as I read this novel, but no matter my feelings I was always impressed with the way it was written.

It seems as though Iris Winnow is facing one hardship after the other - her brother Forest has just gone off to war, she’s worried about her mom, and she’s competing for a columnist position at work - it’s all almost too much to bear and takes her over the edge. After shocking news that throws Iris into a grief spiral, Iris quits her job and takes a position at the rival paper - The Inkridden Tribune.

I appreciated being able to live as a journalist vicariously through Iris from typing at a typewriter to being in the belly of the beast - Iris shows passion in her writing. Iris strengthens her writing not only through her articles, but through the “love-letters” she has been writing to a mystery man through a magic connection… *Spoiler Alert* The man she has been writing to is none other than her RIVAL from the Gazette… Kitt C. Roman. He goes under the name “Carver” as her anonymous magical love interest… and boy oh boy the dramatic irony was killing me.

Roman ends up following Iris for her war-zone assignment. Iris is hopeful that she’ll be able to make a connection to her brother somehow. There’s times that Iris is daydreaming about Carver while looking at Kitt… there are so many moments that just made me want to scream at her!

I enjoyed so much about this book - the only criticism I have was that I think I was expecting more fantasy elements that involved the war amongst the Gods, and to be honest - the romance was a little too corny/cheesy for my taste, but I absolutely appreciate and recognize that I may be projecting my own cynicism onto their fresh and seemingly naive love… it slow burns and then speeds up REAL QUICK, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story - I’m sure most readers will enjoy it.

I highly recommend this book to avid writers and readers, those who enjoy cute back and forth letters, DRAMATIC IRONY, people who enjoy war stories, and people who believe in love <3

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. I do look forward to the sequel and seeing how this series progresses.

4.5 stars. Rebecca Ross is such a great writer and this was a really beautiful story. The rivals to lovers romance between Iris and Roman was my favorite part - it starts with a competition to become the next columnist at the newspaper they both work at and involves lots of banter and pretending to hate each other. It then turns into an anonymous letter writing situation involving two magical typewriters during a time of war. It’s a tale full of emotion, vulnerability, loss, and sacrifice.

War settings aren’t really my favorite, but I think it worked here and added to the theme of not wasting moments and doing things that scare you. One thing I wish is that the fantasy elements were taken further, there’s some mythology about the gods and mentions of magic here and there, but it kind of felt like it was in the background. It does seem like the gods may play a bigger role in the next book though. The ending/cliffhanger broke my heart a little and I’m not looking forward to the long wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Divine Rivals was absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish. I loved the concept of the letters. The world was both rooted in our reality yet so fantastical. I found myself so absorbed that I was transported to the front lines. It is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year and I cannot wait to read a final copy once released. My only problem with this book is that I do not already have the next one... they must be a next right?

Ross is officially an autobuy author. I will be thinking about this one for a long long time.

Full review on www.readandwander.com/divine-rivals

A war between gods. A magical wardrobe,….not the wardrobe….artifact connecting two rivals. Forbidden love. Magic. Loss. Fate. Hatred. Love.

Forest was called to the front by the music of the goddess. His sister Iris was left to care for their mother. Having no choice but to find work she took a job at the Oath Gazette writing obituaries and the classifieds. She was in the running for a columnist job against her rival newcomer, Roman. Needless to say, they didn’t much care for each other. He was rude and dismissive from money and society. She was a poor school dropout.

Iris had been writing to her brother Forest since he left for the war front. Unfortunately she didn’t have an address for him so she slipped the letters into her wardrobe. The first time she did this she was surprised to see that the letters had disappeared. She didn’t receive any reply until months later and it definitely wasn’t Forest writing back to her.

Who was the mysterious person writing her? Why did she feel these feelings for Roman when he was her absolute rival? Why are soldiers disappearing from the front? Should she stay at the Gazette in perpetuity? Where is Forest? Are their monsters at the front? Which war-waging god is bad and which good? Perhaps both are bad? Or perhaps bad is relative.

I highly recommend this book. I’ve greatly enjoyed it and could not put it down. I’ve nothing but praise for it so take a chance on this one.

This book is an enjoyable fantasy adventure, there is no doubt about that. It does seem to piggyback off the current trend of mythology based fantasy. It was a good story, but I wouldn’t pick it up again.

Different from her other books, but still beautifully written. Magical typewriters connect two individuals through letters. I found it easy to fall in love with Iris and the inner turmoil she faced.
The part of the story I struggled to get into was the war between the gods. I don’t read many war books and struggled to pay attention during those areas of the book.
But, still firmly believe that Rebecca Ross is the most epic storyteller I’ve ever read.

This book is so many things in one: WWII-esque setting but make it magical realism, maybe a touch of Narnia fantasy in the form of a wardrobe, secret pen pals à la You’ve Got Mail, young journalist rivals turned lovers, epistolary sections, mythology perhaps inspired a bit by Hades and Persephone, which forms the basis for the overarching conflict. (Almost feels like it was devised just for me…)

Yet, the book manages to remain relatively simple, and there’s something sweet and effective about that, allowing all these seemingly disparate parts to come together. This is ultimately a love story between Iris and Roman, two young people who are finding their footing in a world at war. They engage in witty banter and they challenge one another at work in their careers, but also come to care for one another during moments of loss. It’s about familial love too, as Iris searches for her brother who is lost at war and yearns for his safety despite the odds. It’s a story about self-discovery, about daring to find joy even when everything else is literally crashing down around you. One might have expected the emphasis to be on the greater powers, the two gods, but they’re barely in the book: the focus is ultimately on the peripheral civilians living in the war’s shadow. The cliffhanger ending suggests that might change in the follow-up, as this will be a duology, but even if everything explodes onto a grander scale, I think I will appreciate how this first book focused on a small cast of characters and how they come to show compassion toward one another.

Woven throughout is Ross’s lyrical prose, which some might find a bit overly saccharine at times, but if you have been following me for a while you know at this point that I unapologetically swallow poeticism up. Divine Rivals is about people who love words, who understand their power to change the tide of public opinion on the front page of a newspaper, but also know intimately the way words can encourage and begin healing grief in the quiet exchange of letters. If you’re going to write about the power of words, you best be able to have the skill to back up those profound insights and observations and I feel that Ross has that ability to make you believe in the beauty of language. Having read this immediately after her most recent novel, A River Enchanted (and earlier this year, Dreams Lie Beneath), I’ve observed that Ross is drawn to some common themes and tropes: enemies-to-lovers, the pursuit of art, divided lands at war, magic harps, among a couple others I won’t mention because they’re spoilery. But, this third book is by far my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a beautifully written book about loss, love, finding oneself and finding one’s home. Iris and Roman are rival journalists who find themselves in the midst of a war between two gods. I loved Ross’ writing style in A River Enchanted and Divine Rivals further solidifies her as a favorite writer. I was very invested in Iris and Roman’s story and am already eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Book #1 Iris at the Front
Publication Date: April 4, 2023

I don’t need the description or a title of a Rebecca Ross novel to figure out if I should read it. She simply announces it and it is added to my Goodreads account. Yet, after a stellar last year where we saw the releases of the moody Dreams Lie Beneath and the mesmerizing River Enchanted, I was kind of scared that Divine Rivals wouldn't be as good as the previous novels left some big shoes to fill. I am happy to report this might just be my favourite of hers yet! Rebecca, could you maybe leave some talent for the rest of us!?

The story is one that unfolds during a war of colossal destruction involving deities and magic. Iris is in a competition of sorts for a position as a columnist at the paper. After her brother enlists in the war she writes letters to him and slips them beneath an enchanted wardrobe only to be received on the other end by Roman, her rival at the paper. Well Roman quickly figures out the author of the letters, he feels a certain security in his anonymity, and continues to write back even when Iris finds herself as a war correspondent. 

At one point Roman writes to ask Iris if she is safe, if she is well and if she is alright. I particularly felt this when I finished reading. I wasn’t sure how I felt but knew what I had just read was impactful. I just kind of turned off my Kindle, stared out the airplane window and wondered if I would ever read anything as beautiful as I had just done again.

As with all of Ross’ books she has a way of writing that is really truly beautiful and special. Atmospheric without being bogged down in details. Heartwarming without feeling heavily saturated in romance. Magic so real it feels like something straight out of history. Ross makes you fall in love with her characters only to leave you strapped onto an emotional rollercoaster and hanging on for dear life. 

Thank you Wednesday Books and St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s You’ve Got Mail + WWI & Mythology.

This first book, in what I’m sure will be a series, is an abrupt departure from Ross’s previous high fantasy stories. The setting is urban and a bit gritty. A mysterious war (caused by two gods) is happening far away. The war scenes include sirens to alert the village, mythical creatures attacking, bombs, trenches, shrapnel and poisonous gas.

The two main characters are Iris Winnow and Roman C. Ketts. They are rivals for a journalist position. Unbeknownst to Iris, the letters she’s been writing her brother have been going to him. Roman begins to write back and they share an intense bond even though Iris doesn’t know his name. Rebecca Ross does a wonderful job of the enemies to lovers trope by allowing the characters to overcome their biases by sharing vulnerabilities.

Iris becomes a war correspondent and the secondary characters she meets are well-developed and lovable. The darkness of war and death is all around them, but they help where they can.

The ending is explosive and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book!

This is such a simple story that is rich in atmosphere and vivid in writing. It easy to read in one sittingt, the world-building is minimal, but there's no info dumping here, which would make for a good introduction to the new fantasy readers.I enjoyed romance between competing journalists and learning about them ascharacters.
I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a fun and fast fantasy read.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed Divine Rivals. It started out as a cute enemies to romance, but as the story developed it became layered and transcendent. Not only does it tell the story of Iris and Roman, but it tackles the brutality of war and what it can do to families. It dealt with media propaganda and how much this can differ from the truth. It was such a good story and I look forward to the next one!

I think the premise had a lot of potential, but in the end, I felt this book was quite unremarkable.

I absolutely Loved Divine Rivals. The story follows two rival journalists, Iris Winnow and Roman C. Kitt. They are both writing during a time when there is a war between two gods. As one gets drawn closer to the action the other starts to question their path. I won't say much more as it is full of wonderful and heartbreaking surprises. The story is unique and captivating. I really could not put it down. The characters are wonderful, I immediately fell for Iris and Kitt came soon after. The setting was rough and as the war rages on it gets dangerous. I found the story of the gods interesting and really hope that we get more next book. And the typewriters, what a fun surprise they were. I cannot wait to find out what happens next, it has a whopper of an ending. This is a top ten book of the year for me.

An amazing and compulsively readable book! I got this as an arc through Netgalley and could not put it down. Finished it in two days. There was so much that I loved about this. First and foremost, this is a romance fantasy, so if you don't like romance as the main plot then it might not be for you. I really enjoyed it. It's dual POV, told from the perspective of both a woman and a man MC - Iris and Roman. I loved them both! Though they come from different class backgrounds, both are caught up in very difficult circumstances - Ross does a wonderful job of getting you to feel for both of these characters very quickly and then bringing them low by the end of the first act, particularly with Iris, which leads to very important shifts in what what they each decide to do and how it is that the two characters ulimately come together through the next two acts. The magic in this story is also really nicely done. This is also an epistolary novel, so there is a lot of letter writing between characters and letters magically disappearing and reappearing and driving the narrative in a particular direction. It's so much fun when the reveal happens of what's driving the magic. And I absolutely love the early 20th century/WWI-era inspiration for the setting of all this! I just found this very satisfying all around.

The only issue I might have is that there is more going on in the background with this war between the gods that should maybe be foregrounded a bit more. Ross does give you background in terms of the mythologies that provide the contexts for what's driving the war (nicely done through letters and as forms of research the characters are undertaking). But some of the more present-day dynamics are not really well explained, like the limits and extent of godly power and why the two primary warring gods are using human armies to duke things out. I think it make sense for gods to do this, I just think the whys and wherefores of it all are not explained, but that may be coming up in the sequel. Additionally, I'm not fully sure I really get the end game that the gods each have - I could probably guess with one, but not so clear with the other. Also, I'm trying to limit spoilers in this review, but two days after finishing this, I'm still processing how I feel about the ending... I most definitely will read the sequel when it comes out (probably in 2024), but I'm not quite sure I felt that things were resolved enough while still keeping you hooked to go onto the next book...

Those things aside, I cannot recommend this enough!

Anything Rebecca Ross writes is an auto buy for me. I love her writing and lusb prose. Also a fantasy with history? Sign me up!

The concept of this book really drew me in. Two rivals talking to each other through magical letters and they don't know who the other is?! Sign. Me. Up.

All in all, I really did like this story, but the characters fell a little flat for me. I wanted more from the characters and who they were - but most of all, I wanted to feel their emotions more. I feel like we were told what the characters were feeling, and not being shown which left some of the romantic parts coming off kinda weird. Don't get me wrong, I still got the emotions the characters were feeling, but it came off just a notch above insta love!

Everything was paced perfectly except for that. The world building was good, and the explanations of the lore of the Gods were great and easy to understand! The whole book captured my attention and really drew me in.

The premise and idea for this book was amazing but I am just left wanting more and maybe even feeling a little disappointed?

The ending left it wide open for a second book which I am interested in reading to find out what happens!

Thank you Rebecca Ross, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my goodness, this book was amazing! New to Ross’ work, I went into this book with fresh eyes and an eagerness for a new experience. I was immediately taken by the writing and the characters! My heart ached and warmed for Iris, Roman and honestly all the characters Ross has created. The magic, the setting, the romance, and the feeling of being on the edge of my seat waiting to see what came next… and then that ending! I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For a full content (sex, language, violence) and a condensed review, visit this page:
https://www.novelnotices.com/divine-rivals

WHAT—THAT ENDING . . . !

Book two cannot come fast enough.

Okay guys, I'll be honest: this book took me forever to get into. I blame that on the fact that I had to read a digital copy on my phone (which I loathe to do), and the fact that the pace of the first half was a bit slow compared to the second.

But I LOVED ALL OF IT! I need to see more hype for this masterpiece!

I am completely in love with the world (though there is room for more development, of course, which I'm sure we'll get in number two) and the characters have my entire heart. Roman Kitt is literally just—*ah,* what can I say about him? I loved him to death. I was also surprised by how much I connected with and cared for Iris. A lot of YA books have extremely similar female protagonists, but Iris felt so fresh and new.

Again, the world was awesome. It felt like a World War II era-world—with magic! A bit like Dark of the West's world, but once again, so fresh and unique! I am literally dying to read the second one and the first one isn't even OUT yet (noooooo, how am I going to wait until 2024?). I am for sure buying a physical copy and will cherish the book and these characters with the love they deserve.

Okay, as a side note, there were a few grammatical and spelling errors, which will hopefully be cleaned up before the final publication. But I could ask for nothing else from the story. It delivered on all fronts: characters, world, romance (*heart eyes, sobbing, frantically wondering where I can get my own Kitt*), plot, and action.

Rebecca Ross, I am a devoted fan. Unless you hurt my beloved Winnow and Kitt too much in book 2. Then, I will personally lead the revolt.

I ADORED this book. And it also emotionally destroyed me.

Divine Rivals is an upper YA/NA historical fantasy novel that follows two main characters. Iris Winnow is a new journalist at a newspaper called the Oath Gazette. Roman Kitt is her rival—a fellow journalist who is competing against her for a promotion as a columnist.

I’ve always loved Ross’ writing style. I’ve read both A River Enchanted and Dreams Lie Beneath and enjoyed both of them, but Divine Rivals hits differently; I connected with the characters on another level.

This book is a masterpiece. I love Ross’ lyrical, beautiful, and emotional writing. The book is so atmospheric, and layered with tension that you can feel on every page.

I adore both Iris and Roman. They have so much chemistry, and I love their banter and rivalry.

Divine Rivals reads like a fantasy version of a World War I/World War II story. Ross writes about the horrors of war in such an effective way.

The story is about grief, both Iris’ and Roman’s. It’s about being trapped in a life where you can’t make your own decisions. It’s about loneliness and connection. It's about finding love, but also about the messiness of loving your flawed family. It’s about the power of writing and letters. Throw some mythology about the world’s gods in the mix and you have this perfect book.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year, and it's probably going to lurk in the back of my mind until the sequel is released!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the e-ARC!