What a cliffhanger 😭💔❤️‍🔥

Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt are truly soulmates and their story is enchanting! I was swooning listening to Kitt's letters and the "guy falls first" trope is excellent 🥰

The setting was so unique: early 1900s England-ish(?) but gods and goddesses (think Lovely War by Julie Berry). I would've loved more mythology foundation, I had a hard time picturing how the world worked. The ending had me SO intrigued when we get to see a close up of one of the gods 👀

The first half was a bit slow, but I was fully invested as the plot picks up at about the 40%! I wish we could have gotten more of Roman's POV during the second half of the book, as it becomes heavily Iris' POV.

The audiobook was fantastic and both narrators were excellent choices!

CW: 1 inexplicit intimate scene

*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced listener's copy of the audiobook!! All opinions are my own.

Book Review:
First of all, it is important to note that this book does not rely heavily on its plot to carry the story forward. Rather, the narrative is centered entirely around the characters. While it is possible that subsequent volumes may take a different approach, it is clear that this initial installment is primarily character driven. If you have watched either or both “The Lake House” and “You’ve Got Mail” you are going to love this book.

My emotions about Divine Rivals are somewhat mixed. While the author’s writing style was exceptionally pleasing and the characters were carefully developed, I still have some reservations. However, one thing that can’t be disputed is Rebecca Ross’ writing skills. Her prose was incredibly moving, and there were moments where it evoked such powerful emotions that I was almost moved to tears. Specifically, the scenes where the characters exchanged vulnerable letters, sharing their innermost fears and longing for hope, were particularly poignant and relatable.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters, I found that the world building left something to be desired. Initially, I had difficulty envisioning the world in which the story took place due to the limited descriptions provided. While the plot and characters were engaging, a more robust depiction of the setting would have been beneficial. In addition, this narrative tended to lean more heavily towards the historical fiction genre rather than fantasy, as the fantastical elements were few and far between. Despite the fact that there was a beautiful backstory regarding the typewriters used to send letters, it was not adequately explained how they were able to do so. Additionally, I found myself quite perplexed by the gods in this book and their ability to influence people to engage in conflict against one another. As I mentioned earlier, the limited world building and magic system left me feeling unsatisfied and yearning for a more comprehensive understanding of the story’s universe.

Iris was an exceptional character, one who was both imperfect and strong-willed. Despite her flaws and stubbornness, her resilience shone through. The author skillfully depicted Iris’ struggle to trust others, particularly in the aftermath of the loss of her closest confidante, her brother Forest. She was a very private person, and this trait was portrayed wonderfully by the author, highlighting her struggles in dealing with such a traumatic experience that occurs at the start of the book. Iris was very incredibly relatable, you can’t help but rooting for her.

Roman was a young man from an affluent background who became ensnared by his father who sought to exploit Roman’s sense of guilt for his own personal gain and advancement in society. As a result, I empathized greatly with Roman’s situation and could understand why he was motivated to break free from his family’s influence and pursue his true passions and desires.

Another minor issue I had with the book was the discrepancy in the frequency of Iris’s and Roman’s perspectives. While both were regularly featured at the beginning of the story, Roman’s perspective became increasingly sparse towards the end, which left me wanting more insight into his character. Similarly, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of urgency in locating Forest, which was supposed to be Iris’s primary reason for traveling north as a warfront correspondent.

The romance between Iris and Roman was grounded in practicality and developed at a steady pace. The evolution of their relationship was both relatable and realistic, making it a convincing and engaging aspect of the narrative. The intimate scenes between them was beautifully portrayed in lyrical prose.

The plot twist at the end of the book, where we were finally given a glimpse into Daecker’s perspective, was an exciting development that left me eagerly anticipating the next installment as that was the first time in the story that we were able to see events from the perspective of the gods.

In summary, Divine Rivals is an excellent character-driven novel that shows a great deal of potential and promise. It serves as an excellent start to the series, and I eagerly look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

My heartfelt gratitude to Netgally, Wednesday Books and McMillan Audio for providing this audiobook advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes in names or places in my review.

Audiobook Review:
I felt that both Rebecca Norfolk and Alex Wingfield did a fantastic job as audiobook narrators. Their voices were age appropriate and very similar to what I thought the characters should sound like.

Divine Rivals is my first book by Rebecca Ross, and I am now determined to reading more of her works. In fact, I’m very much looking forward to book 2 in this series.

I love how this story is mostly historical fiction mixed with a little fantasy. It’s something I think even my mom, who doesn’t like fantasy at all, would appreciate. I also like how there’s an intriguing plot beyond the growing relationship between Iris and Roman.

This isn’t just another romance placed in a fantasy world. There are storylines and conflicts that go beyond the interactions between Iris and Roman. It is an exciting and well written story.

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley

I have been meaning to read from Rebecca Ross for some time now, and now I have no choice. I absolutely adored Divine Rituals. I listened to this as an audiobook and I just have to say, the letter-writing portions of this story lent itself perfectly to audiobook form. I was swept away on this combination of realistic fiction and fantasy.

The writing style is beautiful and I found the plot unique, keeping me engaged to the point that I didn't want to stop listening. Divine Rituals is full of whimsy, love, and family elements. If you are a reader who enjoys diving into characters, you will enjoy this. We see so much into the minds of our two main characters, and we get to watch them struggle, progress and grow.

Divine Rituals was utterly captivating and I was so distraught when it was over. I cannot wait to get my hands (or ears) on the sequel. I cannot wait to see where the story is headed, and I cannot wait to seep back into the whimsy of this story.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read anything by Rebecca Ross, but I should probably start now. I loved Divine Rivals. I loved the combination of realistic fiction and fantasy. We have Iris who is a journalist and wants to write about the war that is happening on behalf of two gods. Enva and Dacre. She is searching for her brother who went to fight on behalf of Enva. She is also trying to get a promotion and is competing against the infuriatingly handsome Kitt. When two magical typewriters anonymously bring them together, they find themselves as war correspondences out on the front.

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect. I loved the incorporation of the gods and the history between how this war came to be. The ending left me wanting so desperately for the next book. This is one of those books I couldn't put down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the dual narration and listening to it along with reading the story.

This book pleasantly surprised me. The writing style beautiful, the plot unique. I loved the whimsical elements to the story. A story of love, war, and found family this book has it all. Just prepare yourself for a jaw dropping cliff hanger. I can’t wait for the second book to be released and this one isn’t even out yet..

On the positive side the narrators of this book were great. On the negative side the book itself wasn’t very good. The writing feels very young and the magic system and world building just isn’t there. The whole book is really just about the relationship between the two characters and it wasn’t that interesting. Not a bad book but definitely not something that would make me want to keep reading the series.

Divine Rivals is a memorable and emotional feat of a novel. An utterly captivating story of courage, love, and perseverance. This is one reading experience I won't forget.

When I say I could not stop reading/listening to this book, I mean it. I didn't want to part with Iris or Roman or any of the other characters. This was my first book by Rebecca Ross and now I know I need to read her backlist. Ross created a unique and detailed world that I am eager to revisit in the sequel.

The worldbuilding is so interesting. Two gods fighting an eternal war, pitting mortals against each other??? What a concept! The mythology of this world is fascinating. I will say that it took me some time to "settle" into the world and I am admittedly still struggling with some aspects of the worldbuilding, but by the end, I was truly invested in this universe and cannot wait to see where the story is heading.

At the core of the story are the stories of Iris Winnow and Roman C Kitt. They are rival journalists at a prestige newspaper and don't get along as they are after the same journalist job, though through a little bit of magic, are able to form a connection through their typewriters. I don't want to say more here because it's best to experience all of that without knowing any more details, but I will say that I loved their stories, both individually and together, very much. Their letters to one another were perfect, showing exactly who they are at their core. Both characters are wonderfully complex and I am really rooting for them both.

Divine Rivals does at times get very dark in tone, and Ross shows all sides of the war and how it is devastating for all parties involved. Ross shows that there are people who pretend like it does not exist, people who have lost everyone they love to the war or because of the war, people who are doing everything they can to help end it, and also the people supporting those fighting in different ways. It is a harrowing look at the inner workings of war. I imagine the sequel will show all of this in further detail, as well, especially a further look into the gods and their motivations. I was very impressed with the writing in regard to the war and how the protagonists face it. All in all, I just devoured this story.

Also, I am still reeling from that ending. Just. Wow. I need the next book yesterday.

All in all, this was an impressive book all the way around. It was truly divine.

Absolutely loved this story!! It definitely feels in the “new adult” genre. The two povs are establishing themselves in their careers, which includes competing against each other to be the next columnist at their paper. The story leads them into the thick of war; corresponding from front lines. I loved the letters and the words tying them together. Roman is such a fantastic supportive male character. Iris is suspicious of his kindness and takes a while to warm up to his charm. The banter, the repetition of adorable moments, the eloquence of the writing, THAT ENDING… everything makes this an absolutely exceptional read!! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the audiobook!! Great narration there too! Please remember me for the sequel because I need it ASAP!!!

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Rebecca Ross has a talent for weaving her character's stories together in a way that will leave you simultaneously wanting to savor every word and desperate to find out what will happen next.

The gods are at war and Iris Winnow only wants to hold her family together. Through a series of letters sent with a magical typewriter, she begins to fall in love. A rivals to lovers story told through letters, heroic acts, and the grittiness of war, this historical romance provides just a touch of fantasy and will leave you thinking about it for days to come.

Read this if you like:
- rivals to lovers
- he falls first
- forced proximity
- romance as a focused plot point
- upper YA romantasy
- dual POV

Divine Rivals will be released on April 4th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I almost DNF'd this book, but I'm glad I didn't.
We start with Iris saying goodbye to her brother as he goes off to war.

The main problem is, she doesn't move forward on her goals for the first half of the book. She is trying to compete for the columnist job while dealing with tragedy, but it isn't clear why it's important to her. What she really cares about is her brother, who hasn't sent her any letters since leaving for war. That's why her decision to be a war correspondent makes sense later in the book, but again, i found this section of the book to be quite boring. She was just living the daily life of a war correspondent, no longer even competing with Kit, which at least lent snarky dialog to the story.

Even when Kit joined her at the front, and the audience had the dramatic irony of knowing he was the mysterious Carver who Iris has been corresponding and falling in love with this whole time, I found it to be very boring, day to day life sort of stuff.

That all changed when Kit and Iris face real danger together on the front. Finally, the story picked up! Now we have the looming suspense of the opposing army getting closer and closer. Kit is revealed to be carver, and you would think that would take away some of the suspense of the story, but somehow it just made it more interesting.

Overall, the whole second 1/3 of the book was fantastic and the ending made me want to continue reading! I just wish the first half hadn't been so boring.

Definitely could not stop listening to this book! Divine Rivals pits two characters against one another who are highly competitive, but obviously meant to be together. They become connected in a way that is very unexpected and end up learning about each other and gaining new perspective. This brings up a lot of turmoil for them, living in an age of division amongst their race. The pressures of being young and beholden to family and navigating a desire to connect to people outside of our circle fill this book with energy that keeps the listener entertained and ready for what happens next. The voice acting is spot on as well!

The gods are warring after centuries of sleep. Iris just wants to hold her family together in face of her mothers addiction and her missing brother. She figures her best bet at this is winning the columnist promotion at her job – the Oath Gazette. Iris writes her brother letters and slips it beneath her wardrobe door, where they disappear. The letters find themselves in the hands of Roman, her cold and heartless rival at the Gazette. They continue anonymously writing each other back and forth and forge a connection that stays with Iris on her quest to save her family.

This book is the first YA book by the author of A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless, and she knocks it out of the park. The story is beautiful and artfully written. This was my first book by this author but it wont be the last. I’m not normally one for world building, but I found it easy to listen to on audio. The relationship between Iris and Roman was fantastic and the dual narrators nailed them, even in conversation. The book was a little hard to follow at times, so there were times I was thankful it was easy to go back and relisten to a certain section. I loved the two stories happening at the same time on the macro and the micro level. Overall, this was a fantastic audiobook.

Make sure you grab your copy April 4th.

Thank you to the publisher MacMillian Audio, @Macmillianaudio, St Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Ross writes fantasy that feels familiar and possible--a world so like ours that the step into the unfamiliar is a small one. I loved her adult duology and when I saw she had a new YA series coming out, I was so excited. Divine Rivals did not disappoint. I loved every second of it. It felt like f a fresh, fantastical version of a made-for-tv movie I loved as a kid where letters magically travelled through time between two strangers. I loved how Ross juxtaposed the workplace rivalry between Roman and Iris with the magical friendship that unfolds between Iris and her mysterious pen pal.

This book, while set in a fantasy world with warring gods, felt like it could have been set in the very real world of the early twentieth century--almost. Typewriters and wardrobes and gardens that need tending alongside trenches and devastation and loss--every element of the story contributes to its brilliance. I can't believe I have to wait and wait and wait for the second book.

The dual narrators for Roman and Iris were incredible. Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk both delivered moving performances. It was a delight to listen to them both bring the story to life.

I think this settles it. After reading the Elements of Cadence and now Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross is an auto-buy author for me from now on.

Thank you to the Rebecca Ross, NetGalley, and McMillan Audio for this audiobook ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was so excited when I was approved for this ARC, especially when I recently read my first book of hers and loved it. I absolutely ADORED this book and Rebecca Ross is officially an automatic-buy author for me! As usual with a fantasy book, it takes a little bit to get a good feel for the story as we try to understand the world building, characters, and politics but once I had a grasp on it I was head over heels and I couldn’t stop.

While it’s a fantasy story, it has the feels of a WWI-esque war romance. This historical fantasy romance story features mythology where humans fight in a trench war on behalf of gods, with fantastical monsters. We follow two rival journalists vying for the same promotion for a columnist position with the newspaper.

Iris, our FMC, is a young woman trying to keep everything together while her brother is missing from the front lines and her mother suffering from addiction. She left school early to get a job and work to take care of herself and her mother after her brother joined the war, and with her brother missing she feels the pressure of taking care of everything.

As a way to cope with all her stresses she writes letters to her brother, slips them under her closet door, and they immediately disappear. There weren’t any responses, until one day a reply appears on her bedroom floor but it’s not from her brother. This starts back and forth letters between both writers.

I fell in love with the characters quickly and it didn’t take long before I couldn’t stop and I had to know everything. You get completely swept up in all the feels - hoping and believing that everything will be fine, and waiting for things to fall apart and your heart to break. The ending has my heart in grips and I need a sequel so that I can have more of these characters and their stories.

The feelings of pure happiness I felt while listening to this book! This is a deeply emotional and heartfelt read about two rivals brought together by magic and circumstance.

Iris and her rival Roman are both vying for the same spot as a credited writer on the paper they work for. The two couldn’t be more different. He is a wealthy and pampered young man and she is dealing with an alcoholic mother and missing her brother who has gone to fight in the war.

Iris, writing magical letters and leaving them in her closet only for them to disappear when she opens the door, longs for word of her brother… but he isn’t the one getting her letters. Instead, it’s another young man and the two begin a beautiful correspondence. Roman is the receiver of these letters, though he refuses to tell her the truth.

Set against the backdrop of war and devastation, this is the beautiful story of love and desperation in a terrible time. I cannot wait for more in this series! Roman and Iris kept me falling in love with their story from beginning to end!

Divine Rivals is about a young woman trying to find her place and purpose in the turbulence of life amidst a war between gods. She experiences loss and love.
This story is like floating on a wooden ship over a river filled with myths and legends. The world development is vivid and the writing is engaging as it ferries you through the plot.
As always, Macmillan audio produced a great audiobook. The narrators are extremely skillful and I appreciated that they chose to dual narrate this story.
I wouldn't change anything. There was nothing I disliked. I loved that the content felt fresh and would recommend all lovers of fantasy/romance give this book a listen/read.
This book will likely make my favourite books list this year.

<i>I received this book as an ARC (or advance listener copy?) and all opinions are my own </i>

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for early access to this audiobook.

I can’t believe this book isn’t even out yet and i’m already dying for the sequel. This book was so beautifully written and it’s such a good premise!!! I went into it not knowing much of what it was about and 30% in I was surprised to be so emotionally invested. The mythology in this book is so interesting and I am so excited to learn more about it and the war and Forest!!!! The relationship between Roman and Iris was so sweet and cute and I love them so much. Im such a sucker for a secret pen pal and enemies to lovers trope so I was invested in their relationship right away. Im so excited to see where this story goes and learn more about this world!!!!

Iris Winnow is a young journalist who writes stories on a typewriter given to her by her treasured grandmother. She also writes letters to her missing brother and slips them under the door of her wardrobe where they disappear. When return letters arrive Iris doesn’t realize they are written by her arch nemesis at the Oath Gazette, Roman Kitt.

As the two writers connect and learn about each other, Iris takes an assignment on the front lines of the war among the gods, hoping to further her career and find information about her missing brother.

This is the third novel I’ve read by Rebecca Ross and my favorite so far. The storyline kept me captivated. There was plenty of action and I loved the romance between the two rivals. Narration by Alex Wingfield & Rebecca Norfolk was wonderful. This is one of those books that you don’t want to end. I cannot wait to read or listen to the next novel in this series. 4.5/5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

I loved this book.
I felt connected to Iris and Roman in a way that I have never felt connected to characters before, and the moment I finished I wanted book two.

Things I want more of:
I would love to learn more about the typewriters and how they work.
I would love to learn a little bit more about the gods and their war. I had a few questions which seem like they could play out in the second book.

Although this was a fantasy book It was such an honest and real reflection of trying to make your own in the world while people are trying to force you to do other things. And what it is life living in a state of grief. It was honest and real and my heart aches for Roman and Iris in ways I can't even describe.