*4 stars*

This was a fun YA read. It was engaging and atmospheric, and although it was heavy at times, covering topics of loss, grief, and war, it was really hopeful and heartfelt. The prose were just beautiful and lyrical. This was my first Rebecca Ross novel and it definitely won’t be my last.

It did feel like the story suffered from clunky pacing in the beginning. It seemed slow but it also felt like there could have been more build up with the relationship at the same time. I would have enjoyed more world building as well and I’m hoping we’ll get a little more in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It think the narrators were wonderful and really brought the story to life. This story line was something that I will not forget any time soon and will spend time thinking about a lot. Starting with the characters, I felt that they were really well written. I enjoyed their arcs both as individuals and and together. I was really pleasantly surprised at all the neat little touches of myth and magic that were woven throughout the story and thought that it blended seamlessly into the more urban setting. The over all plot was fascinating, i was definitely sucked in right from the start. I laughed, I cringed, and I cried along with this story and I cannot wait for the next book.

Ross has yet to write a bad book in my opinion. This is just another example of how fantastic her writing is. Ins and Roman are such great characters with unbelievable chemistry. She made you want to cheer for the characters on one page and then want to reach through the pages and shake some sense into them on the next.. The narrators were able to perfectly capture all emotions in their voices and it made the audio experience very immersive.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Divine Rivals is a really fun historical fantasy woven with an enticing romance. I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout this story, and found the characters to be really easy to follow and support. Rebecca Ross has created a unique story arch and invents some super fun story elements. The anonymous letter writing and small sprinkles of magic and fantasy are tastefully done. I wish I would have to known this was the start of a series before reading the story, as I would have better prepared myself for unresolved conflicts, but the ending of the story surprised me and left me excited for the next installment.

I absolutely adored this story. I’d previously read an e-galley, and it was one of my top 5 books read in 2022. I was curious to see how the audio sounded. I love the letter writing, the slight historical fiction feel, and the small things that make this book a fantasy. I am absolutely delighted that the narrators have a British accent because that’s how I imagined them. I cannot recommend this title enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Wednesday Books, Rebecca Ross, Alex Wingfield (narrator), and Rebecca Norfolk (narrator) for the chance to read and listen to the audiobook of Divine Rivals in exchange for an honest review.
The first novel in the "Iris at the Front" series, a promising start to an amazing historical fantasy with plenty of romance and intrigue.

The deities have resumed their battle after an extended slumber, while Iris Winnow, an 18-year-old, strives to maintain her family's unity in a war-torn world. Her mother's addiction is taking a toll, and her brother is missing in action from the battlefield. Her primary objective is to secure the position of columnist at the Oath Gazette, because that is the best way Iris knows to support her family and possibly find out what happened to her brother.

Iris copes with her anxieties by penning letters to her missing brother and discreetly slipping them beneath her wardrobe door. Unbeknownst to her, her notes end up in the possession of Roman Kitt, a rival at the paper who is both frigid in his treatment of her, yet an undeniably attractive young man. Roman responds to Iris's letters anonymously, leading to a bond that will accompany her as she journeys to the front lines of the war for her brother, humanity's destiny, and the possibility of love. 

Once Iris's job at the Oath Gazette takes her to the front lines as a war reporter, the story really picks up. The last 30% or so of the novel is brilliant and impossible to put down (or pause, in my case with the audiobook). The action of the front, the mystery of finding her brother, and the undeniable romance, makes for an excellent read, and I certainly cannot wait for the next one.

A great book for fantasy lovers, history buffs, romance seekers, or anyone just looking for a wholistically well-written good book with an awe-inspiring plot and a promise of more.

I partially listened to this book and partially read the ebook. I really enjoyed the narration for the audiobook. Here is my review for the book as a whole: Love Love Love Love. Rebecca Ross is absolutely fantastic. The way she built up this romance had me giggling. I loved the war between gods concept set in a more real world setting.

The narration was very well done on this high quality audiobook.

I loved this story! Definitely my favorite of Rebecca Ross's YA stories (her adult Elements of Cadence duology is still my all-time favorite) and I am dying for book 2 now. I feel like Rebecca Ross's books just keep getting better and better which is a really exciting prospect.

I first heard the story pitched as You've Got Mail meets Lovely War and that felt like a very accurate comparison--but add in some fantasy elements.

I loved the main characters at the heart of the story and watching their relationship grow in different settings. The letter writing elements were so tender. There is something so wonderful about written correspondence and the characters having a chance to be vulnerable and share themselves without the pretenses of regular situations. The whole story has an emphasis on the power of words that was just lovely.

The setting is really intriguing with a WWI type setup but with the forces leading the war being battling gods with magical elements at their disposal. It felt like historical fiction with a touch of fantasy and I loved that combination.

This book is more mature than the author's previous YA books in themes, protagonist ages, and content level so it is geared towards upper YA (but is definitely not a gratuitous book).

Rebecca Ross is quickly becoming one of my must read, auto buy authors. After finishing her Elements of Cadence duology this year, I wanted to make a deep dive into all of Ross’s work. When I saw Divine Rivals available on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to request it and let me tell you friends, it did not disappoint. If you love Ross’s story telling ability, it again really shines in this one. It was amazing how much this felt like an historical novel, but with such unique fantasy elements. I was instantly hooked! Put this one on your radar. It’s going to be worth picking up.

So, think World War I vibes BUT the war is fought between rivaling gods. We meet Iris who is aiming to become the next columnist at the Oth Gazette while also trying to hold her family together. Her brother is missing at the front lines and her mother is suffering from addiction. We then meet Roman Kit, her competition for columnist at the Gazette. He gets under Iris’s skin in more ways than one. There’s a little bit of magic. A lot of letter writing. Enemies to Lovers. Frontlines of war. Swoon worthy moments and a twisty ending. I can’t say enough good things about this one.

It’s unique and enthralling. The character ARC is exceptional. There were gasp worthy romance moments, heart racing frontline scenes, and exceptional world building. A great beginning to a world that I can’t wait to learn more about. Plus, I’m a sucker for a twisty ending that I didn’t see coming until it was right up on me.

But can we take a minute to talk about cliffhangers?! Rebecca?? Why do you do this to us?! Get ready, because this one will instantly leave you wanting more.

Pick this one up if you like:

-Fantasy but make it historical
-WWI vibes
-Enemies to Lovers
-He falls first
-Dual POV
-A deeply romantic story
-Twisty endings
-Letter and newspaper elements

Sidenote: If you are an audiobook lover, this one is EXCELLENT on audio. Dual POV with two top notch narrators. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy to see how the letter and newspaper elements are done in writing, but I would 100% recommend the audio version.

I loved everything about this book! The romance, the magical realism, the friendships and found family, are all just perfection. It's such a well-written story and I really enjoyed the witty banter between the two main characters. The audiobook is fantastic and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to listen to it. I can't wait for the next book to find out what's really going on!!

This is the first book in the Iris at the Front series. So you may notice I have switched to primarily listening to these audio books. I spend 2.5 hours commuting 3 days a week and listen to audiobooks at my desk while working so I average about a book every 2 days! It is a great way to enjoy the stories when you don't have as much time to sit and physically read. I just want to reiterate the beauty of audio books!

I like the cover, of this book. It's simple but I like the blue color of the flowers (which looks like an Iris) and the type writer keys which fits in to the lore of this story. Simple yet meaningful.

We start with the epilogue here, which is the catalyst for everything that comes. 2 gods at war a brother called by one to fight with a sister left behind. Iris (the sister) gets a job at the local paper and we meet Kitt (our other MC). It's always interesting to have 2 MCs that coincide with each other. You have this outside perspective and know things that the 2 characters don't and you just want to tell them so they stop with the turmoil.

There is so much going on in this story. So much emotion and it was just fantastic. There were times that I was just holding my breathe because I didn't know what was happening. There were some pretty intense scenes. I mean you've got war going on it's a lot. I absolutely loved how everything connected and you could see the pieces fit together by the end. Even the small ones like Kitt's engagement.

I didn't like the end, which I won't speak of so I don't spoil things, but I hate cliffhangers. I'll leave it at that. Especially since book 2 doesn't even have a release date yet! UGH! Will totally read it though.

This book has a little bit of everything love, rivalry, war, mythology, suspense, a little mystery, and total wrenches thrown in your whole way of thinking you know how this story will go. I think I have a bias in all things mythological or god related. I love mythos new old. It just has so many beautiful and horrible ways it can go. I also really am into the love story, except instalove. I think this author has done a beautiful job creating a story in the less than 400 pages that she's written. I mean she created this whole mythos and a world that is behind where we are now, and yet more progressive. It's set in the 1800s (It's stated in the story but I forgot when) I was trying to think when cars were invented and yes I did look it up the vehicles mentioned were made in 1896, I feel like this was set in the 1840s. Doesn't matter because it's not the world as we know it.

If you like a good historical fiction with a little bit of romance, war, mythology this is the book for you. It is well worth it!

*I received this book for free from Netgalley*

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley for this review copy.

I picked up this book not knowing what to expect. I absolutely adored it! We all know Rebecca Ross is a great writer and this book was no exception.
It has phenomenal world building, a strong female lead, and a beautiful, heartbreakingly slow burn romance.
And after that cliffhanger, I can't wait to read the next book.

HIGHLY Recommend

I’m not sure I can even put into words my thoughts on this book. It is a slow build fantasy about warring gods and two people who start as rivals but fall in love.

I loved the use of letters in this story. I was as excited to read the letters as the main characters were. I enjoyed watching Iris and Roman get to know each other through their writing.

The war that brought them closer had me gripping the edge of my seat. I had to find out what would happen. There were so many unanswered questions and the ending left me speechless.

I love Rebecca’s writing style. She is so subtle as she moves the plot forward, and she weaves artistic elements throughout all her books. I am once again in awe.

If I could have the sequel to Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross in my hands right now, I'd be thrilled. Unfortunately, the first book in the series isn't out until April 4th, so I have quite a wait ahead of me!

I've enjoyed Ross' writing in the past, but this is my favorite of her books so far. She is always great at world-building and making you feel like you're there without being overly descriptive, but I've never fallen in love with her characters as much as I did with Iris and Roman. This rivals to lovers story had me in its grip from start to finish. If you liked the letter writing aspect of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, you should absolutely put Divine Rivals on your radar immediately.

Iris and Roman are rival journalists in a fantasy world where the gods are at war. Iris' brother is in combat and she hasn't heard from him even though he promised to write. To comfort herself, she writes letters to him and slips them under her wardrobe door where they vanish and end up in the hands of her rival Roman. When he writes her back anonymously, the two begin to form a bond. Iris becomes a war correspondent, heading to the action in the hopes of finding more information about her brother, and Roman follows her into danger.

I could see myself rereading this one this year. It was captivating and totally left me with a book hangover!

Book rating: 5/5
Audiobook rating: 5/5

I loved that two voice actors were used, and I thought that both did a fantastic job representing Iris and Roman, respectively. My favorite was their performance of the letters as well as the scene from the trenches. I could truly feel the tension, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this audiobook!

FULL REVIEW:
"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."

DIVINE RIVALS is a multifaceted and nuanced novel written in an unexpected and beautiful way; layered with mythology, love (romantic and otherwise), and healing. I didn't want the book to end, and days after finishing it, I still find myself thinking about it often. It's set in a fictional location with fictitious warring gods, yet it was easy to believe the events were truly happening. Ross adeptly cultivated tension, grief, and hope, resulting in a reading experience with "all of the feels", for a lack of a better phrase.

"Do you think we could live in a world made only of those things? Death and pain and horror? Loss and agony? It's not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless."

The book is light on "magic" in the traditional sense, but I never found it lacking because of that. The way that the scenes were written while Iris was at the true front presented a cinematic quality, something that you don't always see when combined with a tender romance with complexities of its own. DIVINE RIVALS was so many things, and often, I find that it doesn't work when attempted, but the outcome in this case was absolutely sublime. I already wish that I could read it again for the first time. Many thanks to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the early copies in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Perhaps it begins with one person. Someone you trust. You remove a piece of armor for them; you let the light stream in, even if it makes you wince. Perhaps that is how you learn to be soft yet strong, even in fear and uncertainty. One person, one piece of steel."

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.