This book blew me away. This was my first time reading Rebecca Ross, even though I have three of her books on my shelves… well now I know I will read anything by her. This book had real substance.
Her writing style is beautiful and lyrical. And the most lovely descriptions! I felt all the feels throughout this book. I absolutely adored everyone in this story, the main character, the love interest , and the supporting characters. It is mostly first person pov from the FMC, but we get a sprinkle of pov from the love interest as well. Very well done.
I’ve never read anything like this, it was historical fantasy romance. So unique.
I listened to the audiobook version and the narration is amazing. 5 stars. Definitely recommend the audio version of this.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

There were a lot of good things in this story:

* early 1900s/WWI historical vibes
* light fantasy elements (the gods & creatures)
* rivals-to-lovers romance
* both main characters being writers
* letters being sent through magic
* some heavy topics such as war, death of a loved one, guilt, etc.

However, a lot of it just didn't quite click with me. It boils down to a couple points:

1.) The romance felt quick. The progression from rivals to lovers didn't flow smoothly to me (especially as the story has a solid You've Got Mail aspect where Iris thought she might have feelings for someone she doesn't know, but then is able to reconcile that too quickly when she finds out the truth).

2.) The fantasy elements were not explained enough. I still don't really know anything about the gods, and the entire book was essentially about their war. There is a brief explanation of why they are fighting, but it didn't persuade me - it didn't feel like a strong enough reason to have a war, much less involve humans. Also! I wanted more information about the fantasy creatures!

3.) The plot was not a strong component of the story. I believe the author calls this more of a "romantasy," and that would be accurate. However, there was a lot of waiting around and slower moments, which was disappointing after the story starts with Iris being very determined to find her brother. This thread of finding Forest was dropped for a lot of the book and then picked back up in a hurry right at the end. It wasn't satisfying to me!

And as a lesser point that does not merit a number of its own, there was a disconnect between the heaviness of the topics and the lightness of the writing. It reads like a book for younger readers (mid-YA, maybe?), but then the characters are older and there are some romance elements you would expect to see in upper-YA. Maybe it was a quirk the writing style, which is slightly formal in an effort to cement the time period in the reader's mind.

All in all, I did enjoy reading this book and the atmosphere is sticking in my mind regardless of my complaints! I have hope for the second book - that it will take these weaker areas and shore them up. I could very well see this book setting the stage for more depth in the next!

Read this if you are looking for a book that is lighter on descriptions, has more focus on romance than plot, is lighter on fantasy, skims the surface of heavier topics, and has WWI historical vibes!

The cover and title definition threw me off and I was waiting for this story to dive more into a fantasy realm. There were nods to gods and it was woven into the story but not as much as I was expecting.

After the expectation was set aside I have to say I really enjoyed the story. It read more like a historical fiction with nods to the paranormal. A unique story that gave me that war time escapism feel. I definitely got the feeling book 2 will have more of the gods making an appearance.

The narrator did a good job and I would recommend this to my students but mention the cover and title are not an accurate representation. Especially if it is a fantasy lover. I want them to go in and be blown away by the writing and character development. Not disappointed on a world building they expected that was not what they hoped for.

After she finds herself with no more ties to home, Iris takes a job as a reporter on the front line of the war between the Gods in hopes of finding her brother.

There's also a magic typewriter and an enemies/coworkers to lovers trope thrown in.

Honestly this would have been more interesting had it been about the Gods and the war, her brother's experiences, the lore of it all... but it was a weak romance that took center stage instead.

It could've been better, overall not my cup of tea and unfortunately I found myself trudging through it with little interest.

5/5 for the audio narrators. 2.75/5 for the book.

Set in an England-esque land closely resembling a World War I/World War II time period complete with portable typewriters and a war with fronts, Divine Rivals sets a somewhat fantastical stage for a rivals-to-lovers romance with loads of other tropes thrown in for good measure. Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt compete for a spot on the staff of a reputable newspaper, the Oath Gazette. As the title and synopsis of the series suggest, Iris eventually makes her way to the front of the war as a correspondent. Reminiscent of the magical pen pal exchanges in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, including the aspect where the man knows with whom he corresponds but the woman does not, the two continue to exchange letters magically while falling completely in love with one another. Unfortunately, what I expected to be a brilliant YA fantasy romance turned out to be a very busy plot with haphazard, superficial world building and no clear focus as to what kind of story this book aims for.

I feel there are many things this book tries to be, but it doesn’t quite succeed at being any or even one of them. It is simultaneously a war-time romance, pen-pal romance, supernatural-gods-and-vengeance story, Hades and Persephone retelling, and many others that are too numerous to list. To begin, the enemies-to-lovers aspect starts off strongly, but our two main characters barely have any on-page, face-to-face interactions to build tension before we see them start to exchange letters via magical means (hint: it’s not the wardrobe). They are also not technically rival journalists, but I’ll leave the details of that statement for readers to figure when they read the book. It is somewhat a fantasy, as it’s set in a different world from ours with dead gods (or asleep gods) and different names for days of the week, with tiny touches of magic here and there; but it is clearly based off of our world with a setting and time period around World War II, except the Germans don’t drop the bombs on the London-esque city (Avalon Bluff), wyverns from a Hades-type god do.

The book is relatively short, sub 400 pages, for a fantasy novel (though it is a duology, so in total, it’s probably going to be 760-800 pages). I feel there is a lot lost with Divine Rivals because of how similar the world is to ours during early 20th Century time period of the world wars. If not for the casual mentions of mythical beings and gods and 21st century practices like same-sex marriage, it would be historical fiction. I would call it fantasy-lite or fantasy-adjacent. As it is, it feels more like a puzzle was just stuck together with pieces that kinda fit and were forced together to say it was done. It may have been better to just write around 550 pages and trim down the excess to make it more polished and put together.

Divine Rivals also does not read like a YA novel (not even an upper-YA novel). The themes are very adult, corresponding to the age range of the characters, who are all 18 or older. It doesn’t fit a typical trope for YA novels, such as coming-of-age or young love.

On a good note, the narrators for this audiobook were fantastic. For those two lovely readers, I heartily give 5 stars. The voices were crisp and very easy to hear even with an increased speed. I always find narrators to be excellent if they make an average book into a compulsive listen because they are so pleasant to hear. I highly recommend giving this one a listen en lieu of reading physically, whether in whole or in part, if at all possible.

My thanks to NetGalley and for the ALC and the eARC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

This miiiight be my new favorite Rebecca Ross and the audio is AMAZING! It captured how I thought the characters would sound like. Plus the story combines history with magic which I am always a fan of.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review! I am absolutely obsessed with this book, and this book alone makes Rebecca Ross an instant buy author for me. Iris and Roman were absolutely delightful and heartwrenching, two rival journalists caught in a war between the gods and finding love where they least expect it. Their magical connection was strong and soft all at once and it was incredible. The prose as well as the plot did exactly what I expected from the book and even more, and I could not ask for a better book. Rebecca Ross is an absolute gem and I wish I had discovered her sooner. The narrators truly captured how lovely both Iris and Roman were, their desires and their fears, and it felt like watching a movie. At times, I even forgot I was reading. I didn't want the audiobook to end. Absolutely my favorite YA fantasy of the year. I do not see how anything could top this, but I would like to see someone try.

I'm a big Rebecca Ross fan and her latest book, Divine Rivals, is right up my alley. Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres and while this was an entirely fictional world, it had WWI vibes with magic that I really loved.

Things I Likes
Upper YA - the themes in this one were definitely for a more mature YA reader
The letters - I loved that this book is told from the POV of the letters exchanged
Dual POVs

There's nothing I didn't love about this book except perhaps the devastation caused by the ending. I can't wait to read the sequel and this is easily my favorite Rebecca Ross book to date.

The narrators for this book were amazing as well. This is definitely an audiobook that I'd listen to again both in prep for book 2 and just because I enjoyed the story and storytelling so much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh look, another book that's left me in total despair because I will never experience it again for the first time.

I didn't know this book existed until Wednesday Books kindly reached out and offered me early e-ARC access. Little did they know they also handed me the weapon that I would willingly use to crack my very heart wide open.

While I was halfway through reading this book (and already desperately in love with it) I pitched it to my friends as rival journalists who unknowingly communicate through magical typewriters outside of work in a world besieged by a WWI-type war where people fight for gods. That was all it took for half of them to add it to their TBRs, and I hope it's enough for anyone on the fence as well. The premise is simply incredible, and it delivered at every turn, leaving me with a beautiful story that is equally romantic and heartbreaking.

I cannot get over this lush and magical yet so bleak world. Hundreds of Gods and Goddesses once ruled this world until only a few remained to lord over the mortals, and they were put to sleep. Except Enva and Dacre have now awoken, and he is out for revenge. Mortals are called to fight on their behalf in a World War One type with trench warfare ... and monsters. It has a Hades/Persephone type vibe that I loved. The cities themselves are lightly magical, with the magic in the bones of the buried dead gods seeping into the streets and buildings themselves.

Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt work at the same newspaper, both having started near the same time and consequently in constant competition for that coveted columnist position. Wow, that was a lot of alliteration. Sorry. Moving on! Iris left school early to keep her and her mother in the black now that her brother has heard Enva's call and gone to fight in the war. Iris struggles to keep a brave face and constantly worries about her brother. She writes him letters, keeping them in her closet because she can't bring herself to send them. Roman, on the other hand, is a privileged young man with parents who *think* they know what's best for him and lay heaps of guilt on him for something that happened a few years ago. While he suffers and wants for nothing, Roman struggles for lack of choice in his life and dreams and love.

This was a rivals-to-lovers romance in the best way possible. I mean, can you say swoon? I don't want to give away the details of how the romance unfolds or how it nearly broke my heart every other page after a certain point, but rest assured it is so worth reading.

This story keeps you on your toes, keeping the reader simultaneously in deep dread that everything is going to fall apart and embarrassingly hopeful that actually, everything will be just fine. My entire reading experience was me saying over and over "If this person dies, I will riot" while holding back happy tears. And then it ended on a cliffhanger. I am distraught.

To say I am dying for the sequel is a complete and utter understatement. I want to absorb this book into my very soul and cannot wait to re-read it again before the second book comes out. Wednesday Books, if you're reading this, please help a gal out at your earliest convenience.

Being a fan of Rebecca Ross, when I had the opportunity to listen (on audio) to a book of hers ahead of time, I bit hard. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this novel, I read NOTHING about it (on purpose) before diving into it because sometimes going in blind is the best way to go in. Sometimes not, it just kind of depends on my mood but I have to say I was definitely pleased with how this book went, though I don't think reading anything about it before hand would have messed me up. With that in mind, stay with me here!

Our main characters are a couple of rival journalists working for a newspaper and I got definite wartime vibes (there is a war going on so I'm sure that's intended) there's a rival newspaper and they use typewriters and I picture them walking around in trenchcoats and hats with the ladies having tightly curled hair and high heels and the men with their shoes perfectly spin shined at all times. Our rival journalists are (of course) competing for one open spot at the paper and while that's where the plot starts it super is NOT where the plot GOES.

We've got a supernatural element, Gods and Goddesses and nebulous feeling magics woven in giving it an almost magic/steampunky vibe along with the 1920's wartime feel it's a really fun semi nostalgic vibe all around. Of course, enemies to lovers is a major element too and I feel that while the plot wrapped up pretty nicely at the end the author still definitely has more to say as far as Iris and Roman (and the whole world because I'm seriously dying to know where this is going?!) go and everything else for that matter.

Our narrator is just lovely. Ok there are two, and they're both lovely. The majority of the book is narrated by Rebecca Norfolk who is a joy to listen to at all times. I was fully immersed in this book with her in control. Alex Wingfield is the male narrator and while we don't hear from him as much, he has a voice that pairs with Miss Norfolks perfectly, and I would love to hear them voice more books together in the future.

Thank you Miss Ross for again producing a book I absolutely devoured and please, keep them coming.

Thank you as always to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a copy of it to enjoy.

Author: Rebecca Ross
Narrators: Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this audiobook from Netgalley.

This book would have been better with a bit of background info. Maybe the print copy has pictures, I don’t know.

The book seems to take place in the Now, in modern times. The setting seems to be Earth, but an alternative Earth. There are gods at war - not sure why.

There are human soldiers that fight on both sides of the war of the Gods.

After taking that all in… the rest is simple to get into…

There seems to be all the makings of a rom-com when we meet Kit (aka Roman) and Winnow (aka Iris) at their newspaper job vying for the highly coveted job of columnist. The two seem to be destined lovers or enemies from the word go.

This book is similar to urban fantasy… except that it seems to take place on an alternate earth.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes

If you like Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - then you might like this book.

I think this is a book for people who love typewriters, a hint of magic, romance, war, and possibly even post apocalyptic books.

I liked it, but I’m not sure how to explain why without spoilers.

4/5 Stars

2.5/5 Spice

TW : War, Violence, Parental Death, Alcoholism

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me with an audio ARC to review.

I saw this book up for request whenever the ebook version was put up and I for some reason didn’t grab it but when I saw the audio go up I figured why not. I had seen such good things about Rebecca Ross’s other books and I ended up really enjoying this one. This was a great story that made be care about the characters and I found how it was told super interesting.

I can’t come up with a good summary other than it follows a girl and boy who are rivals in real life but secretly are pen pals because of magic. Eventually they start to realize their feelings for eachother but when Iris, the girl, wants to find her brother and goes to become a war correspondent, Roman, the boy, can’t help but follow her.

I really liked both of the narrators and think they did a wonderful job. Duel narrator in duel pov books is a must have for me and I liked that the letters were actually narrated by whoever had written the letter instead of just the narrator of that chapter like a lot are.

I’m excited for book 2 and I’ll definitely pick that up whenever it’s available but I did just want a bit more from this book.

I recommend this for people who like mythology mixed with rivals to lovers.

Two young workplace rivals fall in love against a backdrop of war in this YA Romantasy novel from Rebecca Ross.

With her brother off fighting in the war between the gods, Iris Winnow is struggling to hold things together. She’s young and alone, caring for her alcoholic mother. She is working to earn a columnist position at a respected newspaper. Her family needs that stability.

But wealthy Roman Kitt is also up for the job. And he does a fine job baiting Iris and treating her with disdain in the office.

Unbeknownst to her, though, Roman is the one who has been magically receiving the letters she has been trying to send to her brother. And he feels something other than disdain for her.

Divine Rivals is a delicious workplace-rivals-to-lovers, epistolary romance set against a war-torn backdrop and fueled by magic and mythology. I was quickly sucked into the story and fell in love with both Iris and Kitt, who are each struggling in their own ways. The ways he cares for her pulled at my heartstrings, and the ways Iris forges connections with others and joins her found family gave those heartstrings additional tugs. Prepare yourself to run through the gamut of emotions with this one.

I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook. The narration by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk immersed me in the story and perfectly layered on the emotions to already heightened moments of the text.

Another installment in this series cannot come quickly enough.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This is a satisfying read with a strong grounding and emotive qualities. The setting is pseudo European World War 1, exchanging war machines with a supernatural premise and fantastical creatures. The lead characters are good people in a bad time and place, making the best of heartaches, ambitions, and especially war.

Story: Iris wants nothing more than to become a columnist at the country's biggest newspaper. But she is thwarted by a rival: Roman Kitt. He comes from a wealthy family and has all the advantages she never had, making their competition for a position that much harder. Compounding this, Iris' brother received the call from the goddess to become a soldier in a fight between Gods. Her mother is drinking herself to death and Iris doesn't know if she will be able to survive with the meager amount she makes currently at the newspaper as an apprentice. All the while, the gods' war comes closer and closer to her City and she is desperate to find her brother.

In this story, two Gods have awakened and begun a grudge war - using mortals as pawns. Each as the ability to sway the hearts of the mortals and bring them into their cause. In this pseudo 1910s Europe, fantastical creatures (rather than planes) bomb the villages on the front while hellhounds decimate the soldiers during the night. It is into this milieu that Iris finds herself abandoned by her brother as he leaves for the battles and shackled with a mother dealing with addiction problems.

It is an interesting concept and the author makes it work by creating decent and strong characters readers want to follow and cheer. Iris is a good foil for Roman Kitt and whether the story's scenes are at a metropolitan City (think Paris), a small village near the front, or in the trenches, the characters are believable and do what make sense for the situation. In this way, the romance doesn't get in the way of the story and there is an organic development that is a pleasure to read in a YA. Iris isn't the impulsive heroine who is too stupid to live and Roman isn't the ubiquitous smirking emo love interest. Each has their strengths and weaknesses that add to the story. There are relatable and interesting side characters along the way.

In all, I greatly enjoy this pseudo World War I story. In many ways, it reminded me of Atonement - just not with as depressing an ending. This is the first book in a series and completes an arc but leaves plenty of room to continue.

Note: I listened to the audio version and the narrator did an excellent job of bringing the story to life. I highly recommend that version as a result. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Divine. This book is simply put: divine. I am obsessed. I was within pages. Ok, lie. I was from the cover and title. The pages just furthered it. I do not know how I will go on until we get the next one.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. What Kitt and Iris go through really pulls you in different directions. Iris is such a brave and fearless character even if she doesn't realize it. Kitt is...how can I describe him and what he did? He's devastating. In a good way.

I have to say, the way this plot line evolved, I was worried about this being a similar, modern version of Up Close and Personal. You know what? I still am with that cliffhanger.

Read this book.
It's Divine.
It's Sublime.
It's Transcendent.

This book made my lil journalist heart sing and solidified Rebecca Ross as an auto-buy author for me.

Divine Rivals reads like a historical fiction set during WWI or WWII, but the setting is entirely fictional. This creates a very unique experience where it was slightly easier for me to imagine the world and setting because it was a little more realistic, but the story maintained a sense of fantasy which I really appreciated.

Read Divine Rivals for:
- Rivals to Lovers
- Secret penpals
- 20th century newsroom vibes
- Vengeful gods

---- 5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The magic took me back to that magical wardrobe in Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, the love story reminded me of the Mr Darcy and Miss Bennett, and the war story is a fantasy version of WWII. Twist? The war is between the Gods!

“When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever”

Rival - lovers
Slow Burn
War Torn Family and Friends

Pros
Beautiful writing style, elegant but easy to read
Love Story is sweet, intentional, and a sweet slow burn
Relatable themes
Magic is cozy and fun
Loved the relationship with her brother
The heaviness of war, addiction, death are balanced with the stunning writing style

Cons
For my own personal preference, the pace was too slow

Again, Rebecca has stolen my heart!

I love Rebecca Ross ability to tell a story and have you completely immersed in the world and it feels familiar even though you have never been there before.
This book felt familiar but not like something I recently picked up and rear.
I loved the whit and charm both Iris and Kitt had. I loved the side characters and how they started developing.
I am very excited to see where this duology leads and am so excited to learn more about these Gods and their myths.
I also NEED a magical typewriter asap!

**Review will be published March 31st on my sites and socials**

OMG READ IT.

Audiobook review: LOVED. I love that dual narration. And since this book had a letter writing element to it I was so excited that it was voiced by the two main characters for each reading of the letter experience. I thought the narrators did great and made this book even more incredible.

Consider this my new favorite Rebecca Ross book. From the first few chapters I knew it was going to be a winner. It had one of my favorite subtle romantic set-ups that I LOVE SO MUCH. The tension and chemistry between Iris and Roman was astronomical. I was smitten from the get-go.

The setting is one of those unique facets I can’t get enough of. It’s fantasy BUT with a historical elements that are an undeniable hit when combined. The warfare + meddling gods + humans just trying to survive are the kind of fantasy books I love to read. I liked the intensity factors and wondering who’s going to survive the next chapter and where the next shoe may drop. It’s all here and I’ll say it again, READ IT.

I was perfectly shocked by the ending. One of those, I see you coming, but now the HOW’S. And the OMG WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ya know? I am devastated 100 different ways and yet it was all so beautiful?! The quiet moments slayed me and the passion was magnetic.

Rebecca Ross’s best book. I said it.

Overall audience notes:

Upper YA Fantasy Romance
Language: very little
Romance: fade to black
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, war themes, loss of a parent

It has been quite a while since a book has broken my heart like this. Divine Rivals was a quick and exciting read. The world building was simple and minimal with no lengthy info dumps. It had elements of historical fantasy and romance that mixed for a very compelling story. This book featured an enemies to lovers relationship that progressed beautifully! The loss and heartbreak in the war torn world really pulled at my emotions. I nearly cried but managed to hold myself together. The characters were all so unique and well written. The ending was quite a shock and I'm going to have to read the next book when it comes out. Such a cliffhanger!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this alc in exchange for an honest review.