This book has immediately risen to the list of my top five books read in 2023 so far.

I ADORE this book. A war torned fantasy land battling over the wills of God’s with World War 2 1940’s vibes???

This shouldn’t work. It should sound off the wall as typically dragons and the 1940’s don’t vibe BUT Y’all. This works.

And it works so well!

Iris is an aspiring journalist rivaling for the columnist spot at a local paper against Roman Kitt, her arch nemesis. Roman’s family comes from money, Iris is struggling to survive, and immediately these two have a tension that goes above that of a simple rivalry.

When Iris starts corresponding with someone who absolutely is NOT her brother fighting at war, things get interesting!

I just loved this book. I adore every moment I had between Roman and Iris. I loved the true depiction of the ugly side of war, and I enjoyed the lore surrounding the origins of the war itself.

What I was NOT anticipating was the ending leaving me scrambling for book two, but I need it, I want it, and I can’t have it fast enough.

I listened to this one on audio and read via ebook, I greatly enjoyed the audio voice actors so if you’re an audio lover check this one out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Fans of historical romance will truly love Divine Rivals. This was fun listen for me as I enjoyed the enemies to lovers and the banter that Roman and Iris have.
The writing just has way of drawing you in and before you know it you're wrapped in the story of Divine Rivals.
The narrators, Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk did a phenomenal job! The variety of tones and inflections used for Iris and Roman was well done. The voices had a good range and they even portrayed several characters well. I was able to discern Iris and Roman's voice.
For me, this book only had a bit of fantasy, and you see a bit more of that towards the ending. It had more of a historical vibes amidst war vibes. I think as the series progresses we will see more fantasy. While the story is not fast paced, the author does a great job of keeping the reader engaged and I look forward to reading the next one.

A very special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Where to start??

Rebecca Ross is a QUEEN. I am 100% convinced that everything she write is golden. And this? A historic fantasy romance about a JOURNALIST?? YES. PLEASE.

The concept of this book is so interesting—mysterious gods that convince humans to fight their wars for them (think Lovely War, but not?)—and I can’t wait to read more about this mysterious world.

(Also, Roman Kitt could look at me with a raised eyebrow, and I would marry him on. the. spot. Hello, ultimate heart throb. What a man.)

I can’t even put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I can’t describe it. It’s just amazing.

10/5 stars. Everybody who loves fantasy and history and mythology and romance should read this book

✨ Review ✨ Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross; Narrated by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk

DON'T READ THE OFFICIAL BOOK SUMMARY OF THIS BOOK TO AVOID SPOILERS. The less you know about it before hand, the better!

Here's a basic overview -- the gods are at war, and eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow is left taking care of her mother after her brother has gone to fight. She's working at the Oath Gazette, competing against the tiresome (but frustratingly handsome) Roman Kitt, for a single promotion.

While battling for the promotion, Iris has been writing letters to her brother at the front, and found that they magically disappear when she places them in her wardrobe. One day she receives a response, but it's not from her brother. This book takes us on a wild ride of magical letters, adventure, and bravery in a world at war.

This book was so much fun to read -- it was part romance, part fantasy, and especially with the typewriters felt part historical fiction even if not quite in the real world. The audio was terrific and engaging, and I could not put this one down!

Maybe a weird observation but I thought it was fascinating to see a war based on allegiance to gods rather than geographic location / nationality. That you could be fundamentally at odds with your neighbors based on a chosen allegiance was an interesting dynamic for me.

While this is YA, it read a little bit closer to the new adult genre, because the characters are forced into roles where they must act very adult. Because of this it didn't feel overbearingly young.

The book ended and I'm already SCREAMING for the sequel. Hurry up, Rebecca Ross, hurry up!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: YA fantasy but felt like fantasy in a historical setting?
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you like:
⭕️ fantasy worlds with light magic
⭕️ LETTERS and TYPEWRITERS, need I say more?
⭕️ brave women

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

I am obsessed with this book. I don’t know if it’s cause I really didn’t have any expectations going in, or because it wasn’t what I was expecting, but I loved it. It’s a book about faith, hope, and love. It’s about survival and grief. It’s a beautiful love story mingled with a world riddled with war and magic, and I’m here for it.

This freakin' book was amazing. Loved the historical aspect mixed with magic and mythology. Definitely my favorite read of the month and I can't wait for the next one!

I really enjoyed this book! I love the world building and the romance was so sweet, I wish it was a bit slower but YOU KNOW WHAT there's a war happening so honestly who cares! I loved, loved, loved the twists at the end and it was so juicy and I cannot wait for more.
I hope that the second book focuses more on the gods bc OMG thats what I'm here for! (enemies to lovers if that wasn't already clear based off the fact this one has the trope!)

I listened to the audiobook from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio and OMG it was so good. Highly recommend it if you like audiobooks! They had the voice actors read the letters and MWAH that was the cherry on top, good soup, chef's kiss!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC, this is a voluntary review!

I absolutely loved this book. It, so far, is one of my favorite reads of this year.

The magic system and lore of this world is so unique and cool. I believe it may be inspired from Hades/Persephone or some other myth but Ross put her own twist and made it such a refreshing reading experience. Beyond the initial telling of the lore here, I didn't even think of any possible connections elsewhere again.

The love between the MFC and MMC was so cute. True rival to lovers in a workplace, honestly. I loved watching their character development, because they both had it. And the chemistry between them grew over time. There wasn't a lot of overt affection and love until the final bits but the build definitely made it worth it. I mean, the lengths he went to show his love before even telling her?? My heart.

I also enjoyed the MFC in general by herself. She had her moments but overall, I found her a really smart and determined girl who would go to the ends of the earth for those she cared about. And the friendships she makes along the way with other smart, badass women was so empowering.

The plot twist at the end was maybe a bit obvious but it was fun all the same and I'm excited to see what happens next.

On the narration side of things, I loved listening. I was so emersed in the story, I felt like I was actually listening to Iris and Kit talk to me.

This was a delightful historical fantasy romance that exceeded my expectations. The story follows two rivals who start exchanging letters amidst a world-threatening war. While the fantasy elements are subtle, the rich historical world created by Ross is captivating. The main characters, Iris and Roman, initially appear flawed and arrogant, but their character growth and slow-burn romance are beautifully portrayed. The book also explores themes of grief and guilt, which were integrated seamlessly into the story. Ross's writing style is lush and witty, making reading a pleasure. Despite not being plot-driven, the book has a unique charm, and the romance gave me butterflies. I highly recommend Divine Rivals for fans of historical fiction romance with a touch of fantasy and well-developed characters. The audiobook of Divine Rivals, narrated by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk, was a captivating experience with engaging dual narration that brought the characters to life. Wingfield and Norfolk captured the nuances of the story, conveying the lush writing style of Rebecca Ross. The pacing and tone were good, making it highly recommended for fans of historical fantasy romance.

My Rebecca Ross obsession continues! I’ll admit, I did have some concerns given this is romantasy, but I shouldn’t have worried - even my cold black heart melted for this story. Or as much as a cold black thriller loving heart can anyway 😂 This is the You’ve Got Mail fantasy war retelling that I never knew I needed.

The writing is atmospheric, lyrical and beautiful while still being very easy to read. It is a fantastic blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance and the character development is of course amazing as always. Don’t let the fantasy scare you off, I think this story would easily work for you non fantasy readers - it really is more of a character driven story that just so happens to be set in this fantasy world. The world building is very easy to pick up, though I would have liked to see a bit more and am hoping book two brings more on the Gods, the war and more about Oath too.

I split time on the physical book and the audiobook and honestly you can’t go wrong either way. The narration is so well done for both Iris and Roman and I loved hearing the narrators bring these amazing characters to life.

If you can’t tell, I would HIGHLY recommend you read this one! Drop everything and go get it because it is available now! Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!

I love this book! Once I started listening to the audiobook I did not want to put it down. I finished the audiobook in two sittings, I just couldn't get enough. Definitely one of my favourites of the year.

I adore Iris and Roman. Workplace enemies to lovers has always been a soft spot for me and it's done really well. I am also a sucker for a historical fantasy and this book gave me everything I wanted. I desperately need the second book.

I found the premise of this new release so engaging, with a fantastical spin on a tried-and-true historical fiction romance.

I enjoyed the writing, and I fell in love with the characters and their magical typewriters. I just wish there had been more to the story. I understand that this is the first book in a new series, and there were definitely plot points that were developed. However, when the book ended, I felt as if not much had happened at all.

This story was meant to be in audiobook form. The intertwining of the dual narrators was absolute perfection.

Read this if you liked The Dictionary of Lost Words or Defy the Night.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I really enjoyed this! Well written, with characters that make you fall in love and want MORE. I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye out for the next one, and checking out more by this author in the mean time. The narrators were perfect as well.

Wow. Just wow. What a phenomenal book. This was everything I didn’t know I needed right now and is definitely one of my top books of the year so far. Rebecca Ross is a wordsmith of the highest caliber.

This book had a little bit of everything in it. It read like a historical romance immersed in a fantasy world. With war between gods that has grown to include humans.

There is something so romantic about writing letters to the one you love and I loved the magical element of that in this. Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt are EVERYTHING! I will love them until my dying breath and they must be protected at all costs. The way I NEED the next book in this series is overwhelming to me. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was amazing. The narrators did a fantastic job of drawing me into the story and I never wanted to stop listening. Highly recommend the audio to whoever likes to listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Divine Rivals. I think it is a unique story. I loved the letter writing aspect, found family, and hope in this book. The characters were well developed and the writing was vivid.
I recommend this book and will be purchasing it for our library.

Overall I enjoyed this book.
I liked the characters, but unfortunately they never really felt real to me. The romance was cute, but for a rivals-to-lovers it felt very rushed and a bit insta-lovey.
I liked having the backdrop of the war, but wished that we had more world-building. I think I would've liked it more if it had been a romance sub-plot.
For people who want a romance forward fantasy book set against the backdrop of a war, this is the book for you!

Move aside because a new tiktok sensation has entered the building. The minute I started this book I was hooked. From the writing style to that characters I truly could not get enough!

The story follows and enemies to lovers trope that slowly develops over time through correspondence with a magical typewriter. I mean a lot of you guys out there have no clue what a typewriter is lol.

The plot is reminiscent of every kid and their childhood friend turned crush become pen pals that blossom into so much more than that. However this fantasy novel offers so much more than a plain friends to lovers or enemies to lovers as some would say. I loved all of the characters in this novel. From the backstory of the gods to the front story of the war and soldiers, each character possessed a distinctive personality that’s for sure.

I only wish there had been more to the Gods aspect. Although it left in a cliffhanger leaving me mortally crushed till book 2 comes out, I was totally grateful for Netgalley allowing me the chance at the audio book. And let me finish by saying I’d you get the chance to put your hands on that please do so. I think that made the store 90% more intriguing.

;Iris works at the Oath Gazette, but she just got passed up for a promotion. Unfortunately, the job goes to her rival, Roman Kitt, who’s cool but also cold. To make matters worse, Iris’s brother is missing, and she hopes to cover the war in an effort to find him. She’s been writing letters and putting them under her wardrobe door, where they disappear, only to magically end up in the hands of Roman. While he know who the letters are from, she only knows the mystery man as Carver, Roman’s middle name. As the two grow close, they form a bond that will be tested in more ways than one.

While it took me some time to get into this story, once I did I was so into it. However, toward the end the love story ramped up to unbelievable levels and felt like just a couple of kids rushing into things way too fast. Additionally, you’d think a war between gods would be more exciting than it actually was (very reminiscent of an actual war). In the end this felt way more historical fiction than fantasy, so that was a bit misleading, I think. It was very lite on the fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk were great narrators. I just hope this would be more than it was (that or marketed better).