I thought this was just going to be The Shop Around the Corner (or You've Got Mail, if you prefer a more modern reference) with magic. But I should have trusted Rebecca Ross, because it was so much more and by the end, I was on the proverbial edge of my seat.

For the first time in Ross' work, the romance seems to to take center stage. It's not a bad thing, but I was definitely a little surprised (and perhaps it's why I initially thought "Wait. Is this just a romance novel?"). The enemies to lovers trope is obviously a familiar one, but Ross does such a good job with it (as she has in the past) that the evolution feels truly earned and it never feels tired. The dual narrative was a big part of this--and I don't think it would have felt as authentic without it.

The setup was great. Rival journalists. Magic typewriters. And a war-torn country being ravaged by magical beings. The sense of place was all-consuming, especially when the story gets to the front lines. As always with Ross' work, it feels like the location is it's own character in the story.

I'm excited to revisit this story again when it comes out on audiobook and look forward to the sequel (I loathe to think of how long I will have to wait).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

An enemeis to lovers fantasy. Two rival journalists facing a war of the gods. The romance between Iris and Roman was inspiring and swooning.... Both have their own demons to face but fall in love anyways. Amazing story telling.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Typo on page 233, there's a stray number 8. Divine Rivals was utterly charming and equally just as heartbreaking. It gave me studio Ghibli vibes. I loved the ww1/ww2 fantasy like setting. Roman and Iris are such a great pair, I'm obsessed. I did not know I needed a fantasy You've Got Mail, but boy did I. Devastated to have to wait an unknown amount of time for the second installment.

Rebecca Ross has done it again! Divine Rivals was an absolutely spectacular read. I loved the enemies-to-lovers romance, the lore, and the WWII-inspired setting. This was a lot different than any of Ross' other books: the magic didn't play the biggest part in the story, and the romance between Iris and Roman was the biggest theme. I really liked the way their relationship developed throughout the story, which only made the cliffhanger worse! I'm really excited to get more insight on the gods and mythology of the world in the next book!

Thank you so much to the Publisher for sending me an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review of this.

1000000/5 STARS

I am so blown away by Rebecca Ross' storytelling that anything she writes just leaves me speechless and Divine Rivals is no different. Although i do think this book is my favorite by far. Reading about Iris and Roman left me speechless and i kept wanting to shake each of them as they spoke to each other and i found myself wishing i had a physical arc of this so i can annotate it properly.

I'm also upset that i have to wait until 2023 so i can talk about it properly because let me tell you, if you loved A Lovely War AND the anime Violet Evergarden. This should be right up your alley.

Really enjoyed this!
I will update the review with the link to on our blog closer to publication date.

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

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

Divine Rivals is incredibly moving and emotionally devastating. Rebecca Ross captivates readers in this stunning tale about two rival journalists- Iris Winnow and Roman C. Kitt. I won't give anything away because you will absolutely want to read this book and be surprised at every turn. Rebecca Ross' writing style flows beautifully and keeps you on the edge of your seat- always wanting more. Magical typewriters, a war between gods, and an enemies to lovers romance that will leave you swooning- Divine Rivals has all the right ingredients to leave you sobbing.

I highly recommend this book and will be pre-ordering for my shelf!

Truly the only complaint I have about this is that the sequel isn't out for ages and I need to know how it ends. This combines all my favorite trope of all time - the 'shop around the corner'/'you've got mail'/'she loves me', with a fantasy war epic. I was the target audience and I adored it. It's somehow both so dark and so light and fluffy all at once.

The characters were sublime and the world building was so different. It all worked in concert so well.

This book is profoundly beautiful. Divine Rivals is now one of my favorite books. The writing style is amazing (like everything this author writes) and the atmosphere of the book is stunning. Picture: warring gods, a magical wardrobe the two MC’s can (somewhat anonymously) pass letters through, a sentient house, lost loved ones, and a beautiful romance. The overall atmosphere of war-time, rainy days, and the MC’s working at the newspaper also make this the perfect cozy read. I literally couldn’t put this down and haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it.

I can’t wait to read this again and again.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early eARC.

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.