As the gods begin to go to war, Iris Winnow is just trying to make the best life for herself that she can. Her brother has gone off to war, while her mother is succumbing to addiction in his absence. Her talent as a writer has gotten her a position at the esteemed Oath Gazette, but every day she goes to fight her own battle against her rival for columnist, the wealthy and handsome Roman Kitt.
To try and make sense of it all, she writes letters to her brother on her typewriter and leaves them in the wardrobe, where they mysteriously vanish. While she is certain they must somehow be magically making their way to her brother, unbeknownst to her they are actually being sent to Roman. When one day Roman decides to start anonymously writing back, they begin to forge a connection of the mind, body, and spirit. When a series of events lead Iris to become a correspondent on the front lines of the war, their connection, as well as their courage, vulnerability, and hearts, are put to the ultimate test.
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Wow. I am still in quite a state after finishing this book. It is so beautifully written, and I literally could not put it down (I finished it in 2 days). The WWII-esque setting and stakes, with slightly mythical and modern elements, is so immersive and cinematic. Aside from the major plot, this book reminds of how war destroys on a human level, and not always in the ways we expect. The building of Iris and Roman's relationship is.. well I'm not even sure how to articulate it to be honest. But my heart can feel it, and they way that they both grow and find comfort through each other is nothing short of magic.
I know for certain this is a book that I will return to, and I simply cannot WAIT until Ruthless Vows is released next year.

To set the right expectations, I think it's important to know 3 things before picking this up:
* While it's technically fantasy, it's low magic, and the fantasy elements are minor
* It reads like historical WWI fiction
* This is predominately a romance

If I didn't just hit any of your anti-buzzwords, grab yourself a copy, because this is absolutely worth a read.

When it comes to romance, I tend to pick up adult titles over YA ones, since I'm not the target audience for YA. Despite that, the romance between Iris and Roman hit all the right spots for me. It's rivals to lovers, with a slow build, and feelings that develop when they start writing letters to each other. Ross's writing is stunning as always, and really lends itself to heart-aching moments. Because both characters end up on the front lines of the war, there's a constant feeling of tension and high stakes when it comes to their relationship, and I honestly loved every moment.

It's very easy to root for Iris and Roman as a couple, but also as individuals. We follow Iris's perspective for most of the book, but there are a couple of chapters from Roman's POV, which I appreciated. I liked that we got to see what both of them struggle with, and that we are given enough information to understand Roman's motivations for the things he does, rather than having to guess at them.

This is very character-driven, which I absolutely loved, but the author sets up quite the story by the end, and I can't wait to see how it concludes.

OMGSH THIS BOOK!!!
I don’t think I could have loved it anymore than I did.
From the very first page I was enchanted with Rebecca’s writing. She has a way of captivating her readers and this book may be her best yet. I absolutely loved both of our main characters Iris and Roman. I also loved the rival to lover vibes this one gave off.
This story was written so beautifully touching on many deep topics and still left me wanting more.
And the cliffhanger-I cannot wait for book two!

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a Young Adult romantasy set in an early modern world in which warring gods call mortals to the battlefield. It’s packed with the sort of romantic escapism you’d hope: rival investigative reporters who secretly love the other’s writing, a boy following the girl he loves across the battlefield because he just can’t exist without her.

I don’t know what to say about this that hasn’t already been said. I absolutely adored this. This was a beautiful story about two rivals who find comfort in each other as their world is torn apart by warring gods.

I loved the slow development of the relationship between Iris and Roman. Their circumstances led them to becoming friends and then more than friends. The letter writing aspect was so nice. They opened up to each other before knowing who the other was and became the other’s support system.

The world building was done well. I thought the war and the reasons behind it were intriguing and I hope that plays into the 2nd book a bit more. The secondary characters and the town Roman and Iris become stationed in were some of my favorite aspects of the book. The contrast between the slow moments in town and the harsh realities of warfare was really well done.

When I finished this book, I immediately wanted to reread it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, and Rebecca Ross for an e-arc of Divine Rivals in exchange for an honest review.

This is my favorite book of the year. I have been sharing with everyone through reader's advisory, book talks. and our book recommendation service.

I absolutely adore this book. I really enjoyed A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless by the previous author, so I knew going in that I already enjoy her style of writing. Ross creates beautiful, vibrant worlds that absolutely come to life on paper. She's a master of getting you emotionally invested with her characters early on and has such a gorgeous, lyrical prose that you just get swept away.

That ending, I’m still reeling from it!! Cannot wait for book 2! The setting was atmospheric and the romance had the perfect amount of tension! Absolutely loved it.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this eARC.

I LOVED this book. I was worried because World War isn't usually my typical vibe. But the relationship between Roman and Iris and Rebecca Ross's beautiful writing completely won me over.

This book is both grounded and magical. We have warring gods, magical typewriters, and letters being magically transported. We also have two rival journalists and the relationship between them which is the heart of the book.

I loved both main characters and I even loved the world Rebecca built despite the fact that World War isn't my typical vibe. The story is both charming and even funny at times while also containing heartbreaking emotional moments. And of course the romance. Such a beautiful love story.

There's even some twists towards the end!

It's a book you won't want to put down and I can't recommend it enough. Rebecca Ross has become one of my top authors and everyone needs to do themselves a favor and pick up her books.

Rebecca Ross is the queen of the cliffhanger. I loved the academic vibes of Divine Rivals and CANNOT wait for the sequel.

This book is absolutely amazing, but anything that Rebecca Ross writes is.
Divine Rivals is a book that takes ahold of your hand and pulls you right in to the world. It was magical and as always felt so rich in characters design and development.

Rebecca Ross is a auto buy author for me and i will always be recommending her to other readers.

I think this book was okay but I don’t know that it lived up to all the hype I had seen about it. Thank you for the chance to read it.

Why is it when the two main characters are bound to be enemies but will soon be lovers, and I know I have to devour the book? Is it the snarky banter? Is it me screaming? Oh, get a room, you too, or do I want to ensure the author gets it right? I think it all these things, but this story has more than just the brimming romance to cheer about. There are magical buildings that can sense how rich or poor you are. There is a mansion that takes care of the male paramour. There are connected magical typewriters and a wardrobe that whisks away your correspondence to the matching owner of the typewriter.
We have Kit and Roman, two aggressive, competitive journalists who end up on the war front as war correspondents trying to share a neutral story about the war. Kit is there hoping to locate her brother, who is fighting in the war, and Roman is there to protect Kit. There is a deep connection between these two, and with the war in the background, you may need a tissue or two at the end. I love this book so much; I think it was expertly woven, and I am eager for the sequel.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order next year and will recommend it to students.

Absolutely LOVED. Flew through this charming, magical, high stakes, and romantic book in two days. Everything worked well here. This was my first Rebecca Ross novel and it won't be my last. Need the next one immediately.

This book filled me up and made my heart swell. I loved the subtle magical elements, the epistolary details, and vintage feel of it all. Yes I took about a 2-month break from it after getting to the 50% mark, but that was definitely a me and my mood thing at the time and not the book. When I picked it up again, I inhaled the remaining pages within a day.

Ross's stories always feel so effortlessly magical and exceptionally unique. I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in her writing style and world building, and Divine Rivals held that same special- and one-of-a-kind-ness. This time through a story of two young, rival journalists who find love by way of a magical connection and must face the perilous intricacies of a resurrected and long-waged war among the gods.

The love story made me feel light and happy and joyous and full. Roman C. Kitt has my whole heart. It was emotional at times, gripping and devastating at others, and simultaneously fun and lighthearted all at the same time with banter to boot. The story pace allowed for significant character development, story growth, and a solid foundation to start a series with. And, let me tell you, I am SO glad this is the first in a series!! The writing flowed smoothly and was easily digestible. Every scene stood out vividly in my mind's eye. It also feels like there's a story within a story here and I can't wait to find out more about the gods and their ancient war!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
- dual, shifting POVs
- gods, myths, legends
- war x 1920s-40s feel
- historical fantasy vibes
- rivals to lovers
- letter writing x magical artifacts
- journalists x war correspondence

Rebecca Ross has done it again! I really enjoyed the last YA book I read by her, Dreams Lie Beneath. I think Divine Rivals is my favorite book by her so far. Beautiful writing that automatically kept me engaged. A unique, but familiar world with an interesting history. I loved and hope to learn more about the Gods and Goddess of this world in the second book, Ruthless Vows.

Both main characters stand well on their own and have excellent banter with each other. Within the first few pages of them interacting I knew that I was going to love them as a pair. They have a great rivals to lovers arc. The magic and monsters were also a nice touch in the world.

The last third of the book is pretty devastating and makes me want the second book now, but I'm also a little scared of how everything will play out. I highly recommend this book for those who love young adult historical fantasy. I can't wait to see where this series goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Divine Rivals

“ Perhaps it begins with one person. Someone you trust. You remove a piece of armor for them, you like the light stream in, even if it makes you wince. Perhaps that is how you learn to be soft yet strong, even in fear and uncertainty, one person, one piece of steel.”

I think this was advertised as a fantasy, which it was, but oh my goodness was this a romance!!

Not only is there a romantic notion throughout the novel , but it also highlights familial bonds. Most notable is the importance of the family we have in the family and the family we choose for ourselves. There is also overarching themes of grief loss, overcoming uncertainty, and resilience.

The story kept a slow and steady pace, which doesn’t always work for all novels, but definitely did for this one. It was a beautiful slow burn. this when you definitely have to add to your radar and also as proof that you need to try an author out more than once. I did not like her debut, but I really loved this one!!

5⭐️

This was one of my favorite reads of the year. I love how the author developed Roman and Iris's relationship throughout the book, it wasn't to fast but wasn't to slow. I really enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Really really loved this story. Went in not expecting anything and this was so beautifully written with the sweetest love story.