In a world caught between two warring gods, two young journalists just might find true love. At the start of this story, protagonist Iris sees her older brother Forest off to fight in the war between the goddess Enva and the god Dacre. Several months pass, and she has yet to hear back from him. During this time she finds solace solely in her writing. As her world falls further apart, she is given the opportunity to go to the front as a war correspondent, and she accepts this chance to potentially find her brother. There she sees the devastation of war, but also finds an unexpected gift, in the form of romance. Roman Kitt, formerly her infuriating competition at the local paper, just may not be as bad as she thought.

This slow burn fantasy romance was exactly my cup of tea. I need more, please and thank you. The fantasy elements are fairly minor, and I look forward to seeing more of the lore in depth in the future. The magical typewriter is such a fun element. The enemies to lovers trope is always enjoyable, and I really enjoy slow paced romances where the characters find themselves in each other, the way that Iris and Roman do. This ending is killer... I truly can't wait to see what happens next.

A war between gods and two rival journalists turned love interests; Divine Rivals is an addictive new fantasy novel that readers are sure to love!

I realized reading Divine Rivals that I am a BIG fan of the enemies to lovers trope! I absolutely loved the conflict and chemistry between the main characters Iris and Roman. I thought the connection through their letter writing was a magical touch that pulled me into the story early on.

There was an array of topics covered in this novel, from family expectations and grief to first love and found families; I enjoyed seeing the shifts throughout the story and Iris’s journey. This felt like such an easy read because I enjoyed the characters and liked the way Ross crafted the plot. I did want to know more about the magical elements and the gods in the story, but hoping this plays a bigger part in the next novel of the series.

Overall I really enjoyed Divine Rivals and I am really looking forward to the second novel!

"...because sometimes strength isn't swords and steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. Sometimes it's found in quiet, gentle places. The way you hold someone's hand as they grieve. The way you listen to others. The way you show up, day after day, even when you are weary or afraid or simply uncertain."

Myths, magic, and a multitude of genres are marvelously mixed in this transportive tale of two rivals turned lovers amidst the brutalities of war.

Despite its fictional setting (and war), this utterly enchanting novel was one of the most atmospheric stories I've encountered all year. I was completely invested from the bullpen at the Oath Gazette to the B&B in Avalon Bluff and all the way to the frontlines and back. These characters felt real and relatable, which made me protective and invested in their fates.

Throw in a The Shop Around The Corner/You've Got Mail epistolary subplot and it's easy to see why I was such a smitten kitten.

I'm very intrigued by the concluding chapter's reveals and I believe Ross did an extraordinary job laying the groundwork for a solid sequel. One which I'll be eagerly waiting to read.

I can't say enough good things about Divine Rivals, each time Rebecca Ross publishes a book I say "this one is my favorite". Divine Rivals really is my favorite ..

We get a world building that reminded me of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wordrobe by C.S. Lewis in the sense that it's a bit of a time period piece in the midst of a war and contains hints of magic.

The lore holding this story together was fascinating and kept my attention.

Divine Rivals does have a bit of competition between the main two characters , they were both very likeable in their own ways and had wonderful chemistry..

The end of the story absolutely broke my heart and gave me quite a book hanger. it's a story that lives in the back of my mind and I can't wait to read again.

If you love enemies to lovers, stories about writers, historical , magic , emotional, you'll enjoy Divine Rivals.

I will add that if you have any personal triggers to war or military in general, tread lightly. This one brought back memories of when my husband was deployed and we had no communication except letters. I adore this story but it brought back the past in it's own way.

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press Publishing, Wednesday Books Publishing, and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of "Divine Rivals" to read and provide an honest review.

"'I don't want to wake up when I'm seventy-four only to realize I haven't lived.'"

*4.25 stars*

I know this review is VERY late (two months, to be exact), and for that, I apologize, but I'm so glad I waited to read this one. After just having finished "Fourth Wing", I definitely needed a change of pace from high/epic fantasy. While this is still a fantasy book, it was much tamer and more like historical fiction of World War 1. It also had a completely different feel to it, exploring the themes of loss, grief, bravery, hope, and love.

Things I Liked/Loved:
- The romance between Roman & Iris
- The short sections of Kitt's POV
- The plot (and the CRUEL ending; I hope the next book comes out soon or I might cry)
- The writing style

Things I Did Not Like:
- The lack of development of the worldbuilding
- The magic typewriters (I'll explain why)

I loved the romance between Roman and Iris because it wasn't insta-love, and it was rivals to lovers where the guy fell first (two of my favorite tropes in one). I also loved the "I'd-die-for-you" attitude they shared toward one another. I also enjoyed the plot because of its fast pace (which also allowed me to devour this book in three days). The writing was also heavy and full of emotion, which was also a welcome change after the epic action in "Fourth Wing". I actually teared up while reading this (TWICE!), so that usually would give this an automatic five stars, but I did have issues.

In regards to the worldbuilding development, I have to say, I was surprised by the lack of it from Ross. I've read "The Queen's Rising" duology by her and loved it, and I also have the rest of her books on my physical TBR. However, the worldbuilding elements, especially the mythology, felt thrown into the story, to me personally. Maybe we'll get more of it in book 2, but I didn't understand the point of having the gods/goddesses be the starters of the war (it felt kind of like a war between Persephone and Hades but with a lack of description) since they didn't really have a part in the story besides starting the war. I mean, we don't even see one of them until the end.

I was equally disappointed in the convenient magical typewriters. I LOVED the idea of Iris writing letters to her brother and them actually ending up reaching her rival, Roman. While the explanation for HOW the typewriters were made and how they were magic was given, the history behind the typewriters didn't feel like an integral part of the story (even though it was integral to the conflict between Iris and Roman later on).

Overall, it felt more like Ross wanted to write a book about a sister, her MIA brother, and another boy who happened to receive the sister's letters to her brother during World War 1, but she was forced to somehow make it "fantasy". That being said, I still really liked this book, and I look forward to the sequel next year!

Divine Rivials by Rebecca Ross was my first book by the author and I'm so happy that I read this one while on my vacation this month! I had like 5 books by this author on my shelf and I didn't know where to start so I started with this one. It had all of my favorite tropes in here: Slow burn romances, morally grey characters and LGBT characters too. I didn't realized the setting of the book was in the middle of one of our World War's until like halfway through and I found it I actually enjoyed this one. The ending of this book shocked me and broke my heart at the same time.. How dare u Rebecca?! Haha. I give this a 5/5 stars and I cannot wait for book 2: Ruthless vows!(:

Not quite what I was expecting, though I went in blind. This is like if You've Got Mail were a magical realism fantasy! I also get a WWII era historical fiction set in Europe kind of vibe, if there were warring Gods instead. There's a lot going on in this slow burn. The third act packs a punch and that ending - my heart can't take it - I need part 2 now!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Iris Winnow is a eighteen years old who just wants to hold her family together, with her mother fighting an addiction and his brother missing from the front lines. Her only plan is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. Her other way to fight against her worries is to write letters to her brother and slipping them beneath the wardrobe door, where they vanish...into the hands of her rival journalist, Roman Kitt. When he anonymously writes her back, they forge a connection that will follow them through war all the way to the front lines of battle, looking for her brother, for love and mankind.

Divine Rivals is a story of two rivals journalists who find love through a magical connection, in a era where gods are awakening and they are ready to war among themselves. In a story filled with magic, love and the future of mankind at stake, Iris and Roman fall in love, through letters and connections, through time and war, following the powerful power of love and fate in this enemies to lovers story. I'm not such a fan of love stories, but this one swept me away. Iris and Roman are wonderfully complex main characters and it was such a pleasure following them getting to know each other, letters after letters, while facing war, gods ready to destroy everything, Iris looking to protect her family, in a story moving, intriguing and so so romantic.

It's been a while since I've read/listened to a book that I simply could not put down. I don't think that I've read a historical fantasy romance like this before and I feel like all those elements were woven together really well in this book! A war between magical gods in which humans are trapped made for an intriguing setting. I did feel like there was less world building than I would find in a typical fantasy, but the vibes completely made up for that. I don't fully understand the magic of the gods and how that plays into the war, but I'm excited to see how that is developed in the sequel. I find that Ross's writing style really works well for me and this book was no exception. I feel like she captured the love story and the struggles faced throughout the book as a result of the war equally well.

Iris and Roman are the perfect rivals to lovers. I truly loved them as a couple and was rooting for them throughout the book! Iris and Roman start off as rival journalists covering the issues that result from the ongoing war and vying for the same editor spot. I loved their banter and the little ways in which Iris irritates Roman. The best part of this book was the letters. I just loved all the letters and how Iris and Roman formed a connection writing to each other. Also magical typewriters are something I didn't know I needed, but I want one now. The pining and the angst was so well portrayed throughout. I just loved their love story!

I thought the pacing of this book really fit the vibes well. The last bit of the book was where the most action happened and I felt like so many things happened to set up the sequel. I do not know how I'm supposed to wait for the sequel with this cliffhanger ending. I literally cannot wait to see what happens next!

Overall, this was a really great read! I loved the vibes, the characters, and the love story especially. I would highly recommend this to fantasy and romance readers equally!

Divine Rivals is a historical fantasy that follows a journalist as she chooses to become a war correspondent while looking for her brother in a war of the gods. The book is mostly based in the historical genre, reminiscent of WW2 books. There is just a little bit of fantasy involving the war among the gods, and notably the enchanted typewriters that are the basis for the formatting of the first half of the book.

I really liked the way the first half was written with the letters between the two characters. There’s a You’ve Got Mail thing going on, because one character knows who they are writing to while the other believes that they have never met. The writing in these letters was enchanting. I really liked how the letters were juxtaposed with the characters’ rivalry in their daily lives.

I would recommend this to readers who like historical fiction and want to dip their toes into fantasy.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Ross is a writer gifted at weaving an enchanting atmosphere and creating an immersive world with characters that you identify with and ache for. I loved absolutely everything about this novel - the main (and side!) characters, the worldbuilding, the romance (enemies to lovers is the all-time best trope, and I will die on that hill). The ending was QUITE the cliffhanger, and I'm aching for the sequel. This is one of those YA books that I will certainly be recommending to my young adult students, but also to adult friends and family, as well.

This ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher!

After Iris's brother enlisted in the war between Enva and Dacre, old gods that had mysteriously reawakened, Iris had to drop out of school and is competing to win a prestigious position as columnist at the most read newspaper in town. Her mother is now an alcoholic and she has not heard from her brother once since enlisting. She frequently writes him letters on her typewriter that her grandmother gifted her when she was young and finds that her letters disappear after she places them in her wardrobe. She hopes that he is getting her letters until one day she receives a return letter for the first time detailing it is not her brother.

I freaking loved this book so much!! It has been such a long time since I have read something so unique, so romantic and swoon worthy, and so beautiful. I loved how romantic this was without being spicy for once. I loved how their relationship developed and how the emotions, struggles, and thoughts were so real to the time, as well as to real life, rather than being this hyped up and romanticized version of human beings. The magic elements were so discreet, I loved that it wasn't this huge thing that took up most of the world building but just something that happened to be there, and played this huge but unassuming part of the story. It was so beautifully written and really brought you into that 30's/40's type of era. Ugh I just loved it!! I loved Roman, I loved Iris, I loved the cliffhanger at the end (even though I wanted to throw the book at the wall). I cannot wait for the second book!!! 5/5 Stars, this is definitely one of my new favorite books

💭 𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:

This book was absolutely beautiful 🥺 it was full of heartache and relentless hope!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I was so pleasantly surprised! It reads more like WW1 fiction rather than fantasy but I loved it! I love how Rebecca sprinkled in bits of magic here and there.

I adored the characters in this story but especially love the main characters Iris and Roman 🥰 their unique connection was so perfect! 💌 The romance between them unfolds beautifully. Their relationship from rivals to lovers was done so well and I was completely invested in their happy ending 🥺

The books ends with a huge cliffhanger 😩 and I am impatiently awaiting the release of Ruthless Vows I cannot wait!! This has made it to my top 5 favorite books of the year!

Thank you so much to @netgalley for the eARC of this book!

Rebecca Ross is an auto-buy author for me. I have loved all her books, but this one. The writing was STILL beautiful, but I didn’t care for the characters. I was disappointed in part of the story-line and uninterested in it’s development. I am not sure if book two will redeem this story or if this particular duology is just a miss for me. I will continue to read her future books though.

Honestly this was a very sweet, beautifully written, character driven, rivals to lovers fantasy romance that was just a touch too slow for me. There’s definitely action but it ultimately feels like very little actually happens. Mysteries are only half explained and I had so many questions that pulled me out of the story. The writing is excellent and I’m definitely excited to read more from Rebecca Ross but unfortunately this one just didn’t quite hit for me through no fault of its own.

Rebecca Ross' writing is always gorgeous and lyrical, so it makes sense that her latest book is an ode to love letters, journalism, mythology—all kinds of writing that can connect people across space and time.

Divine Rivals is compelling as both a war story and a love story. The plot moved pretty slowly at times, but the ending pushed everything forward with a violent shove. I can already tell that the sequel is going to be insanely good. 4/5 stars.

Because the fantasy elements beyond Iris and Roman's magical correspondence are not as delved into, it feels more like a historical fiction novel. We hear about the gods and the story behind their conflict, but not much more. Although integrated well, sometimes the mention of the gods felt like a reminder that this was also a fantasy novel. Ross sets the groundwork here, but I am hoping the gods play a more integral role in the future.

While I was disappointed by this, it was overshadowed by how achingly beautiful the story is. The romance was the highlight for me. It is an utterly sweet one. I was taken in by their feelings for each other as their relationship transitioned from that of rivalry to love. It was filled with romantic tension and heartbreak. Ross left me completely distraught by the end. I cannot wait to read the next book.

Read this if you are a fan of:
✨️ rivals to lovers
✨️ letters and anonymous correspondences
✨️ historical fiction with tinges of fantasy

OMG – I only wish I had read this book the moment it was dropped into my hands because I had no idea what a treasure has been waiting on me.

FIRST OF ALL – “You’ve Got Mail” is one of my favorite movies of all time and this book gave me the most euphoric feeling of nostalgia while winding me through new myths, a magical world and Iris’ journey through grief and love. I don’t even understand how the author managed to incorporate so many different elements while weaving together a gorgeous story, but the bar has been set even higher than I previously held it for YA Fantasy.

- Rivals -to-Lovers
- A war among gods
- Magical typewriters
- Found family

A standing ovation for Roman Carter Kitt as we crown him the best of YA book boyfriends.
Excuse me while I go buy the rest of Rebecca Ross’ books and cry in a corner until Ruthless Vows is released and in my hands.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins’ Press / Wednesday Books for an E-ARC of this delightful book.

5⭐️

<b><i>Do you ever feel as if you wear armor, day after day? That when people look at you, they see only the shine of steel that you’ve so carefully encased yourself in?</b></i>

Iris’s brother, Forest, heard the song of the goddess Enva and enlisted in the war against the god Dacre. Iris promises Forest that she will take care of their mother and finish her schooling, and Forest promises to return home soon. 5 months later, Forest has still not returned from the war, their mother has taken to drinking, and Iris has dropped out of school and is working at the Oath Gazette, competing with Roman Kitt for the columnist position. The two rivals butt heads often in their efforts to outcompete the other.

Iris attempts to contact Forest via letter, but has never received a response. Her letters magically disappear in her wardrobe, and she blindly hopes that Forest is receiving them until one night she finally receives a letter in response that says “This is not Forest.” Iris continues to send the stranger letters through the wardrobe, and the two become fast friends. When Iris’s world is turned upside down, she bids her penpal farewell and sets off to be a war correspondent in hopes of finding Forest. Iris realizes that it wasn’t the wardrobe that was passing her letters to her mysterious penpal, but the typewriter that was passed down to her by her grandmother, and Iris continues to send her new friend letters.

This book is everything and I am <i>obsessed</i>. Rebecca Ross is so good at bringing her characters to life that I was legitimately sobbing by 20% into this book because I had already connected with the characters so profoundly. The magical typewriters, the letter writing between strangers (or so Iris believes), and the enemies to lovers in this are spectacular. I especially love Roman’s point of view and I think it adds so much to the story. I was on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish and I need the next book desperately. Unsurprisingly, this book has become one of my all time favorites and Iris and Roman will live rent-free in my head forever.

<b><i>It’s odd, how quickly life can change, isn’t it? How one little thing like typing a letter to a stranger can open a door you never saw. A transcendent connection. A divine threshold.</b></i>

∞ / 5 stars.

if i could say only one thing about this book it is that it is truly, and undeniably, one of the greatest books i have ever read. i have not felt a love for a story like i did with this since i read caraval for the first time, and if you follow me on insta or know me irl, you know how much i love and continuously find ways to talk about my love for caraval. the fact that these books stand eye to eye with each other for me, while being so entirely different from each other, is a testament to how much affection i have for this book.

what i wouldn’t give to read it again for the first time; to experience the love and heartbreak i went through along with Iris and Roman; to witness their story unfold in ways i never could have predicted. i would give anything.

the true tragedy, you may wonder, is that i will have to wait over a year to read its sequel.