DIVINE RIVALS has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, so getting an e-ARC of this book was such a treat!

Two rival journalists during a war of the gods? I was instantly captivated by this story, and it was genuinely hard to put down once I began. It's compelling and magical -- and the romance! SWOON. It's well-written and unique, and weaves such an enthralling tale of magic with a story of war. It's unlike anything I've ever read and I can't wait to have a physical copy for my shelf! Well done, Rebecca Ross!

A big thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I FLEW through this book, and now that I’m done, I can say that I want so much more. This was my first outing with Rebecca Ross, though from what I’ve heard, she’s had some very well-loved books come out. I can absolutely see why. Her writing style is lovely: it’s both descriptive and just flowery enough to be beautiful, but not overally full of purple prose. It strikes a balance of keeping your mind engaged with punchy sentences while also adding in pretty turns of phrase. The concept was fabulous. You don’t normally connect journalism and fantasy, which is what made Divine Rivals such a breath of fresh air since it was something I haven’t personally seen before. The rivals to lovers aspect added the perfect amount of tension to a romance that was so fun to follow, especially since it felt enteined with the plot. I loved the angst, and some of my favorite tropes were done very well without feeling tired. There are some content warnings for this book, but I’m very glad Ross included some of the unsavory aspects of war, as well as the realities of addiction. It made the book feel all the more geniune and realistic. I know a lot of reviews can feel like a constant stream of positives, but I very much loved this book and was so glad it was offered to me. Thank you SO much to St. Martin’s for this early copy, I can’t wait to have it on my shelf!

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.