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).

A magical experience!! I felt like I was listening to a movie. My imagination was running wild the entries time. Iris and Roman’s relationship was easy to love and root for, even as “rivals.”

From the beginning oh find yourself invested in Iris’s character and somehow excited for her interactions with Roman. This story was told as if it’s already a well known world. Everything felt so magical, yet real.

The shift from the world of Magic to the fast paced war chapters was built up perfectly. A magical historian fiction, almost.

I already can’t wait for book two!!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the copy for review.

this was so beautifully written ! the writing and plot truly kept you from putting the book down. and the characters !! i loved meeting them, and i desperately need to see where their story takes them in the next book.

i'm just so.... starstruck. the author did SUCH a wonderful job of creating a beautiful story of hope and love despite the war brewing around these characters. it felt like magic reading this. i truly am in awe.

I want to thank NetGalley and Wednesday books for giving me an arc in exchange of my honest review.

I love Rebecca Ross and I feel her storytelling gets better and better with time. Divine Rivals is such a special story! I really loved how RR used the correspondence between Jack and Adaira in “A fire Endless” so when I find out this book was just about that, I got really excited and I’m not disappointed at all.
Although the setting for this story is not a happy place, you have no other choice than to feel cautivantes because Iris and Roman are perfection. I loved their relationship from the begging, even when she didn’t know. And how amazing the way RR made everything happened. I loved that we knew but Iris did not know and I was so eager for her to find out. And when she did, oh man! That scene was so perfectly written!
All the war details had me crying but I always felt there was hope at the end of the road.
That ending was heartbreaking and I already need to to know how everything is going to end

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up to 5!

A new favorite author! Rebecca Ross has the most beautiful, poetic writing style. Set in the middle of a war between gods, this story follows Iris and Roman- intense rival journalists. They are both competing for a prestigious spot at the Oath Gazette. But after devastating events, Iris leaves the Oath Gazette and her hometown behind in search of her brother in the front lines.

I gushed so much over this couple and story! If you love enemies to lovers, forced proximity, equals, a protector, and wittiness, you will fall in love with Divine Rivals.

The plot itself is pretty simple. The story is inspired by WW1 and I can’t say there’s a ton of action or plot twists (even the lore lacked). BUT the author’s writing makes this story incredible. She weaves such a beautiful tale and traps you into her world. I wanted to keep reading more and more. Her writing sold me this novel!

I loved the way the war and lore was revealed over time. The author kept me curious, but she also gave me so much to root for beyond the war. Again, her writing made me fall in love with the ship and characters. The way she wrote this romance was breathtaking, tasteful, honest and thoughtful. She wrote a deep-rooted love.

Rebecca Ross’ writing is some of the best I’ve encountered. She kept me hooked the whole way through, squealing when her characters would admit difficult truths and grow. The typewriter connection between Roman and Iris was so charming and sweet- a cute twist!

I need book #2 NOW! If you haven’t read her before you need to read her now. While I wait for the next book, I’ll be reading her other novels to enjoy more of her writing.

This was my first book by Rebecca Ross and I was pretty surprised,. I'm not typically drawn to war stories but the fantastical elements of active gods and goddesses at the head of the war? And magical typewriters? Now that was interesting enough to get me hooked. I wish we were able to spend a little bit more time with the letters sent between our main characters because I feel like most of the relationship's development happened off the page so it was a little difficult to root for it to come to fruition. But boy the stakes were high! War correspondents in the trenches?? In a YA book?? That was new and very nerve wrecking. I'm not sure I loved the final plot twist/character reveal but I think many will enjoy it or at least be surprised. I am also entirely surprised to find out this will be a series! This is one to pick up if you get the chance and the audiobook was fantastic.
Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity) and Julie Berry (Lovely War).