I went into this story blind, and I'm so happy I did. It made the experience of enjoying such a unique and beautiful world that much better.

Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt are two journalist competing for the same dream position at their paper. When Iris' mother dies, she gives up her dream and becomes a war correspondent for the ongoing war between the gods. In the process, Iris realizes that her and Roman are much closer than she thought.

I'm not normally a romance reader, but this was just enough romance for me to enjoy every part of the story! The concept and execution were so well done, and the mutual pining was sweet and not too over the top. The idea of two journalists being connected through enchanted typewriters during a war between gods is just such a great plot, and I'm so happy to say that the author delivers!

It was well paced, well written, with great characters that leave you rooting for them. My only complaint is the cliff hanger, but that means we're probably getting a second book in this fantastic fantasy world. And, surprisingly, I'm very okay with that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Rebecca Ross book, but after reading this I will very quickly be picking up more from her. I love the “you’ve got mail” style love story and this time era. I will say there wasn’t as much fantasy in it until the end but I feel the next book is going to pop off with some more god battles and tie in nicely to the first!

This book is now living in my heart and soul. I will be reading it again. It is simply so beautiful and moving. I love the fantasy world setting of the god's war. The love a rivals to lovers' story and all the magic and enchantments. Iris and Roman's connection gave me Anne & Gilbert vibes. I adore it! I am a huge fan of her books and I love her writing, I am so excited for the second book

I really really enjoyed this one! It was a nice mix of cute romance and historical fantasy. It centers around Iris and Roman, rival writers for the local newspaper, while a war between gods rages on far from their small town. It tackles the topics of loss, vulnerability, and love in a time of so much pain incredibly well. We get thrown back and forth between the gruesome effects of war and the growing innocent love of our two protagonists. I liked how we got to hear some of the mythology and history of the gods and where their whole feud started, though I am hoping we get a bit more world building in terms of the subtle magic in the world in the rest of the series.

Speaking of the rest of the series, I know today is pub day for book one, but I need book two now please 😅 That ending was cruel and heartbreaking and I need to know more!

I definitely recommend for folks interested in a well done YA fantasy with good character building! And to top it all off, the cover is gorgeous 😍

Loved the audiobook going to buy this in hardcover format for sure. I kept hearing rave reviews and they didn’t let me down at all.

In a world where a battle between gods created the foundation of society and magic runs rampant, a new war is going on. I love the world the author created, with just the random touches of magic set in this almost roaring 20's vibe (but with modern things like equality). I was instantly sucked into this story and enjoyed the journey. This was very much a character driven story, which is kind of interesting since the story focuses on a big war and a magical world, but getting to know the two main characters was the point of this book. I would have liked to know more about the war and the magic (connected typewriters are super fantastic and I want to know what other kinds of magic exist) and the world, but maybe the next book will fill in some of my world building gaps.

And wow this was romantic! Sure there was war, death, loss, destruction, gods, magic, all kinds of danger- but this was super romantic, like the swoony end of times loves that songs like to focus on.

Warning, this book ends with a huge crazy cliffhanger that will leave you needing more and feel like your heart was ripped out. I am impatiently counting down the days for the sequel (I have no idea how many books will be in this series, could be a duology or a series) but I am 100% here for this series.

The audiobook is dual narrated by both the main characters and I absolutely love that, Yes I am spoiled by multiple narrators in a book but I don't want it any other way. If you are a audiobook fan I highly recommend listening to this one, the way the story was composed on audio added another magical element to an already fantastic story in my opinion.

#DivineRivals:⁣
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“The days to come will only grow darker. And when you find something good? You hold onto it. You don’t waste time worrying about things that won’t even matter in the end. Rather, you take a risk for that light”⁣
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@macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks. Thank you so much for my amazing copies. I have very strong feelings about this book and am willing to die on the Divine Rival hill. Give me all the merch, all the special editions, everything. Iris and Roman. A magical typewriter?! A war amongst the gods. A war correspondent. Yeah, this book is my favorite of 2023. ⁣
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The storyline, the LOVE, the so interesting world building, this book is amazing y’all. Also, if you’re going to make your two MCs as writers, they better have words that flow like lava, and Rebecca Ross did just that.⁣
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The audio was wonderful. Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk are amazing. I cried several times and it was clearly well done or I would have just been sad.⁣
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Do yourself a favor. Grab this one. Savor it. Historical Fantasy? Me? Released yesterday and I need all of y’all to enjoy it with me.

Divine Rivals, the latest novel by Rebecca Ross, is a spellbinding historical fantasy that had me hooked from the very first page. The world-building is rich and vivid, with an intricately crafted mythology that feels both ancient and new. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning, and found myself fully immersed in the world of the gods and goddesses.

The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and desires. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters, Iris and Roman. Their relationship is fraught with tension and conflict, but also with a deep sense of connection and understanding.

The pacing of the story is excellent, with a perfect balance between action, intrigue, and character development. I found myself eagerly turning the pages, eager to see what would happen next.

But what truly sets Divine Rivals apart is the writing itself. Rebecca Ross has a gift for language, with a lyrical style that is both elegant and powerful. The descriptions of the world and the characters are rich and vivid, painting a picture that is both beautiful and haunting.

Overall, Divine Rivals is a stunning work of historical fantasy, and one that I would highly recommend to any fan of the genre. It's a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and that will linger with you long after you've turned the final page.

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley for the ARC!!!

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I love the twist on the type writers being linked and being a major part of the romance. The world and drama are amazing and I just couldn’t put it down.

This is enemies to lovers, forbidden love, and a love torn apart book. This book grabbed me from the start. I loved this one so much and can’t wait for the next book. Be sure to pick this one up!!

“To be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor. To welcome people to see you as you are.”

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

This is an epic fantasy story and I was hooked from the first chapter. The audio is just fantastic! Narrated by both Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk this story was fast paced and just so engrossing. And also so interesting. It’s a fantasy, sure. But it is also an enemies-to-lovers love story. Add to that the element of war in the name of the Gods and it’s just one hell of a ride. Superbly done!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[4.5 rounded to 5] Divine Rivals is the first novel in the Letters of Enchantment series. Before even beginning to discuss the content, I do have to acknowledge that the series name is different than the title of this first novel. I love when series have a unique name as it gives the series a more complete feeling rather than novels just stacked on top of each other. This story is interesting as it is lighter on the fantasy and reads more like historical fiction with a fantasy twist. There is a war between the Gods (Dacre and Enva) compared to a world war, but the general feeling remains that same. One of our main characters, Iris Winnow’s, brother, Forest, goes off to fight for the goddess Enva, which leaves Iris behind to care for the family. She works as a journalist for a newspaper, the Oath Gazette. As a columnist position opens, she finds herself against her rival, Roman Kitt.

As Iris longs to reconnect with her brother, she uses her grandmother’s typewriter to write letters to him. Instead of her brother, the letters land in the hands of Roman and the two begin a magical anonymous pen pal relationship. Their story is told from dual POV, which I loved as it gave the reader both sides of the story for each character, plus they got to experience different settings. Iris is towards the warfront whereas Rowan is back home. Each has a different background and different motivations, yet they find ways to connect through their letters. Through the characters the reader experiences a lot of the emotions and aftermath that comes from war, and I loved that Ross did not shy away from making this part darker. It still remains appropriate for the YA audience, but it adds another layer that older audiences, like me, can appreciate. As for the relationship that develops between Roman and Iris, it was well done as I love the element of them connecting through letters. I do not go as far as calling this enemies to lovers as it is more rivals to lovers, but it is the closest trope to the details on the page.

The pacing itself is something that I expected based on the genre as it is remains fairly steady up until the last quarter or so where it speeds up to build up to a cliff hanger and entice the readers to want to pick up the next novel. Since I read a lot of the genre, I expected it, although I still would have preferred it to be spread out a little more. The part I was not expecting, however, is the smaller role of the divine in this story. I thought there would be more involvement and lore as it seems there is still a lot to learn about the gods and their world. I am hopeful that the second novel will dive more into this part of the story as I have a lot of questions that I want answered. While this was not the story I expected, it was a great war romance as I loved how Iris and Roman connected. Overall, this novel, like many of the genre, is structured to focus on enticing readers to try the sequel, but there was a lot to love about the writing and characters to make it worth it.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley Wow! What an amazing read. I really fell in love with this book. The writing was just absolutely enchanting. The author writes emotion so beautifully. You could honestly feel the grief and sorrow that Iris was feeling. I really felt immersed in a part of the story as I was reading it. I have this great on an affection for all of these characters. That ending I can’t. This book is definitely one of my new favorites, so glad to have the opportunity to listen to early. I literally can’t wait to read the next one.

Divine Rivals is a book that screams character and art. With rival journalists, magical letters to each other, and the grief of loss, it's rooted in the connection we have to Iris and Roman. Immediately I became so attached to Iris, to the ways she's trying to prove herself, but also to the pain of her loss. At the same time, I loved Roman from the beginning not only in their banter, but in the ways it stems from a respect, an admiration of their talents.

To the pieces of life and love we cling to when tomorrow isn't promised to us. When we see how fragile each second is. I was fortunate to also be able to listen to some of Divine Rivals on audio book which was an utter delight. Not only is this dual narrators, but the accents and emotions Alex Wingfield & Rebecca Norfolk are able to infuse truly takes Divine Rivals to a new level.

Thank you to Rebecca Ross for including so many of my favorite things in one book!

Rivals to Lovers. ✔
Fantasy setting. ✔
Historical fiction. ✔
Found family. ✔

It was hard to resist the spell binding craft of this novel. I found the city of Oath to be charming, and the characters I found within in it even more so. The banter between Kitt and Winnow (or Roman and Iris) was excellent and I found myself attached to both of them and their relationship immediately.

While I typically don't read historical fiction, I do think Ross does a great job straddling the genre while including great bits of fantasy and enchantment. I am excited for the next book and look forward to learning more about the Gods and their realms!

I had initially requested the e book ARC of this book and then decided to request the audiobook as well. The narrators of the audiobook were FANTASTIC. Their inflection, their accents, the POV switches... I highly recommend it if you are an audiobook fan. It kept me so invested in the story and added a lot to it in my opinion!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the author!

Divine Rivals is the first book in the Letters of Enchantment duology. I listened to the audio book and the narrators, Rebecca Norfolk and Alex Wingfield, have done a wonderful job story.

The story starts with rivals Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt vying for the same job as a columnist at the Oath Gazette. The jabs these enemies make at each other cover a spark of attraction. Both have their reasons for needing to win the job and it is easy to feel for both characters. The story next moves to the front lines of the gods war. Winnow has made the move to become a war correspondent in the hope of finding her brother who is fighting. When Roman shows up at the front as well, their relationship picks up where it left off.

I loved this story and the way the fantasy elements, and the romance played out. From the city of Oath, to the details of the brutal fighting, this story was incredibly well written. It was easy to feel the desperation and anxiety of the war, and at the same time feel the love and connection of Winnow and Roman.

A typewriter that allowed letters to be passed magically was simply the cherry on top of this extremely enjoyable read. Be warned there is a cliff hanger at the end of this one. I can not wait for the next book!

Thank you Macmillan audio for the advanced listener copy to enjoy!

This was such a unique and unputdownable read! The audio narrative was excellent, engaging and compelling. The story is immersive with enemies to lovers that is the best kind of slow burn. I absolutely loved the idea of a war between factions of gods, and that the gods are real deities! There was mystery, intrigue, and some spooky moments. I cannot wait for the next book!

Divine Rivals is a heart wrenching story about love, loss, found family and the effects of war. I was honestly blown away by this book. While it’s YA it’s definitely upper YA verging on Adult. It was so beautifully written though and I loved the touches of magic.

Iris while still only 17-18 years old has had to grow up fast since war came to her doorstep. Her brother left to fight in the was and her mother was lost to bottle, leaving only Iris to support them. I don’t know how she managed to stay so strong when faced with such a bleak reality. Iris was a kind soul who was so empathetic which only lead to her being an amazing writer. The turn her story took about halfway through just felt like the right move.

Roman Kit (better known as Kit) was a lost soul searching for meaning in a life he
was forced into. His father made all these life decisions for him and for some reason he just went with it. I loved that we got his perspective and to be in his head while he fell for Iris.

The rivalry between Kit and Iris at the newspaper for the columnist slot was amusing. I loved their back and forth banter and how it was obvious to everyone but themselves how they had a future together. It was charming until it was heartbreaking.

The magic surrounding Iris, Carver and the mysterious letters was intriguing. I liked this little touch of magic that brought them together in their darkest of times. A magical love story unraveling during a time of war.

Divine Rivals is definitely more romance focused; a romantasy. I think we’ll get to see more of the fantasy plot in the next book and I’m really excited to dig into more of the myths and lore surrounding the war.

I also can’t recommend the audiobook enough. It’s dual narration and I loved the voice actors for both Iris and Kit. It just added a little something extra to book and made that more magical.

Divine Rivals is a mash up between historical fiction, magical realism, and feels loosely inspired by Greek mythology in an upper YA format. While I was intrigued by the premise, the two main characters are what kept me reading. Iris and Rowan have the ultimate rivals relationship- their sparring and banter had me giggling and I heartily enjoyed seeing their romance develop through letters. That said, I feel like the world building needed more work. It seemed merely a device to bring the characters together or drive them apart with very little of its own foundation to stand on. It's interesting, but it didn't pull me in, which made the appearance of a particular character at the end fall flat. It's supposed to be a cliffhanger and it didn't hit like one. I was also somewhat disappointed in the lack of depth of side characters- there were people in the beginning that could've been eliminated altogether and the plot wouldn't have changed. With the pacing issues and side character flatness, I have to wonder if the author decided halfway thought that this was going to be a series rather than a novel. All that said, I enjoyed the ride and look forward to the next installment in the series.

Also of consideration for those reading: this book contains brief descriptions of parental alcoholism, parental death and subsequent grief. Later in the book, descriptions of war with moderate detail are present.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced review copy of this audiobook for a voluntary review.

🎧💙DIVINE RIVALS PUB DAY REVIEW 💙🎧

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I listened to this audiobook, but I was beyond blown away!

I’ve only read Ross’s Adult Fantasy - A River Enchanted - so I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to try her YA novels. I am SO glad that I did!
This book was wonderful! The pacing, the action, the sweetest slow burn, the “enemies” to lovers, everything made you want more. 📝

I was honestly so sad when it ended! Not to mention that cliff hanger it left me on?! I need the second book!!

As I listened to this through an audiobook, I loved the narrators! I think they did a wonderful job and bringing the characters alive. It felt like a warm hug listening to them!

Overall, RR’s writing is quickly becoming some of my favorite and I cannot wait to see what she puts out in the future. She has an amazing way with words and helps the reader see hope even when things seem to be going horribly around the characters. Not to mention the imagery her words help create! I Can almost imagine myself in the golden field 💛

Happy Pub Day @beccajross 💙💙

Synopsis:

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

And a huge thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this audiobook in return for an honest review!