I found the beginning a bit slow to get into and this carried though the story. Lots of characters and word-building all at once. The first chapter, though, had hooked me from the start, even if I was a little confused as to what exactly was going on. I didn't realize this was a prequel to the Divine Rivals series--I only thought it was loosely related--and this likely contributed to some of my confusion. Unfortunately, this title didn't hold my attention and beg me to read it immediately, which, combined with its length, made it hard to get through. The writing was lyrical and fantastical. I think I will try this book again after I've read the duology and have more time to dig into this hefty tome to give it a better shot.

I received this book as an ARc, to provide my honest opinions. This book took me a while to read. Not because it wasn't good, but because I was not ready for it to end.
Hoping it would be a duology like Divine rivals, I did not want to leave the world. I was first introduced to this world with the Letters of Enchantment duology. Which to this day has been my favorite read of all time. So, getting a book that gave us more details about some of the Gods we were introduced to, was amazing.
The way Rebecca Ross writes, she can transport anyone into her world. The world building was unique from the way the 3 separate worlds all intertwine, the Underlings, Mortals, and Skywards, you get to see the worlds in new light. The magic system and how the Gods interact with the mortals all feels unique.
wild Reverence is an adult romantasy set about 600 years prior to the Letters of Enchantment Duology. The story centers around matilda, a young goddess with messenger magic, and vincent, a mortal lord. Their lives are tied together between dreams, prophecy's, and letters.
My Final thoughts are... I NEED MORE of this world. I need more about enva and her time we did not see. I need more about Bade and Adria. I love this story as much as I do the Letters of Enchantment duology. I fear there is no other story that can compare to these.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced eARC.

Maybe a 2.5*
Wild Reverence is a Prequel to the Divine Rivals series that explores the world of the Gods. Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I received an eARC and could never get into it. I finally gave up and waited for the audiobook to come. I don't know if it is just where I'm at right now, but I did not enjoy that.
It was very long, much longer than it needed to be. The beginning was really hard for me to follow because there were so many characters and different Gods with different powers.
While I was reading and listening I found myself having to reread passages or rewind the audio because my mind kept wandering.
The "payoff" of the entire story and how it relates to Divine Rivals was not worth the 22 hour audiobook.

It looks like I'm in the minority here, and I'm hoping in the future I can revisit this and enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Books for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sadly DNF'd around 30%.

I was so excited to receive an e-arc for this after shortly reading the Divine Rivals duo logy, which are part of my favorite books to date! This book is an adult prequel to the popular duo-logy. I was hoping this book was about Enva and Dacre, the main god and goddess from the duo logy before their conflict but it wasn't. This book was more about a goddess (Matilda) and a human (Vincent), and I honestly don't understand what they do so read more about my initial thoughts under lol

I jumped straight into this book as soon as I received the arc and while Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows were still fresh in my mind. I first started reading the arc but unfortunately, I could not get into the book, it was very slow-paced and solemn compared to the Divine Rivals books. Then a few days after, I was able to check out the audiobook from my Libby app and decided to listen to it instead. But it was the same feeling of just not getting excited for this book. Narrators did a great job tho! I thought maybe it was just wrong vibe, wrong time? So I read many other books in between before getting back into this. And....I just frustrastingly can't get into it! Pacing is super slow burn, definitely different than Divine Rivals, and I could not relate to Matilda or Vincent. But a lot of people did enjoy this book, I unfortunately just was not one of them. I still recommend other Divine Rivals fans to still give this book a try! Just because this wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't be for you.

I love everything Rebecca writes, and this was no exception! The beginning is a bit slow, but it’s worth it for the rich world-building—I was completely drawn in. The romance is full of yearning (so good!), and the action scenes are intense and perfectly done. I absolutely loved it!

As someone who was absolutely enchanted by Divine Rivals and quickly devoured everything Rebecca Ross had written, reading this book was like finding home again. Beautifully written, heartwrenchingly romantic, and everything you could want in a prequel to satisfy the lush world building.

It was so amazing going back into this world! i absolutely loved this book (letters of enchantment duology is my all time favorite duology) and i felt such great connect between the characters. This is a book that i will forever wish i could read again for the first time!

This was my first Rebecca Ross book and it did not disappoint! This is an incredibly intricate and well developed story, and it is equally devastating and beautiful. The prose, the emotional depth, the yearning, my god this book ruined me in the best way. My only wish is that I wanted more special moments between our main characters. The whole book is a fight to get where they want to be. But that's what makes the story worth it. I would love to read more by this author. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I had zero plans to stay up until 1:15 am to finish this book, but alas!!! five stars!!!!! This book was so good and is definitely a new favorite of Rebecca Ross!

This book is a standalone adult fantasy romance and a prequel to the Letters of Enchantment series (which I loved!!) It follows goddess Matilda, a divine messenger who carries letters between realms while hiding a secret.

Although this book is a prequel to Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, I am actually SOOOO glad I had the chance to read this after these two books! I am personally not sure if the impact would've been the same had I read it before reading the Letters of Enchantment series!

Rebecca Ross’s writing is truly so poetic and beautiful. Her ability to string together words in such a way never ceases to amaze me. She was truly meant to be a writer, and I feel so honored to be able to read her work!

This was such a beautiful story of life, loss, power, fate, and, of course, love!! Vincet and Matilda... a story between a mortal and an immortal. They are everything to me. 🥹 This story had so many different elements to it and was split into a few different parts, but I found that it was pretty easy to follow. There were a couple of moments where the plot was a bit slow for me, but I constantly found myself wanting to dive back into the world and continue their story.

The romance was absolutely beautiful. This book is definitely more of a slow burn romance, but the yearning was truly so good!!!🥹 I also loved the found family aspects between certain characters. In this book, it was so hard to know who to trust hahaha!

Overall, this was such an enjoyable read and is definitely a new favorite! I highly recommend you add this to your tbr! It is also perfect for fall time if you're looking for a fantasy fall read :)

Thank you to Saturday Books and Netgalley for the e-arc of this book!

Loved it. I really enjoy being brought into this world that Rebecca Ross made. Everything about this story was amazing and I went through so many emotions reading it.

Wild Reverence

Beautiful and heartbreaking. This story is set before the events of Divine Rivals. We dive deep into the world of Gods and Goddesses. Matilda is our FMC, a young goddess with powers and secrets. Vincent is our MMC, a young mortal man who dreams of Matilda, though they have never met. Fate has woven their threads together.

The last half of the book had me on the edge of my seat. Worried, excited, nervous, scared. All the feels. This story was written very much like Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. I enjoyed reading Enva and Dacre’s backstory and how this is all intertwined.

Favorite quote - “I would wait a thousand years for you,” Vincent said. “If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar. But if you must leave again, then let me follow you, Red”


While my review is a little late, I still want to thank NetGalley and St Martins press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

4 stars

What to Expect:
- immortal x mortal
- second chance
- marriage of convenience
- human wars

I think Rebecca is such a magical writer. I feel like the magical system in the book is so unique compared to other fantasy books. This is the prequel to the Letters of Enchantment duology so I highly suggest reading it before the duet. However, if you have already read them, I think this is great to get more understanding and background on the Gods and Goddesses. There is great world-building.

Rebecca writes raw emotions that will break your heart but pull you in at the same time. There was great angst that pulled the reader into the story and made it hard to put it down. I think this is such a great book for YA and fits into the genre so well. It's easy to understand while still making the reader fall in love with the story and its characters. Matilda is the perfect example of a strong, powerful, FMC. She grew up too quickly in a world that could break the weak. Vincent may be mortal, but he's willing to do anything for Matilda and it shines through. He is the king of yearners.

The only reason I rated it 4 was because it did take a second to fully pull me into the story.

“I would know she was near, even in the darkness.”

SO ROMANTIC, I COULD FADE INTO THE MISTS (LITERALLY). This was such a beautiful prequel to Divine Rivals, I’ve always been so curious about the Gods and this exceeded my expectations of their story and the history. When I say romantic, I mean Matilda and Vincent YES but just everything about this world. Rebecca’s writing is going to do it for me every time 😭 bow down to her. Just so so magical like spellbound writing.

For some people, the world building was slow to start, but I loved growing up with Matilda and her journey. The epilogue too! The typewriters!

This book totally knocked me sideways in the best way. Like, I thought I was signing up for a dreamy little goddess-mortal romance, but nooo...this thing was a full-on emotional rollercoaster with stakes higher than Mt. Olympus itself. The mix of divine politics, messy betrayals, and “letters that will ruin you emotionally but also heal you” energy? Ugh, perfection.

What I loved most was how layered it all felt. The magic, the secrets, the absolute slowest of slow burns. It never dragged, it just kept building like thunder before a storm. Matilda is the kind of heroine you root for instantly (tough but so human at her core), and Vincent… let’s just say his level of yearning could fuel the sun for a decade. Their connection felt ancient, inevitable, and completely swoony.

Also, can we talk about how the world itself was a character? Every shadow and every whisper felt alive, like it was daring me to keep reading at 2am (which I absolutely did, oops). By the time I closed the last page, I was wrecked, enchanted, and already planning my reread.

If you love stories that rip your heart out and then stitch it back with golden thread, this one is IT. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 💌

I didn't get past the first two pages because it was a lot of information up front, and my mind wasn't wanting to process any of it, I will probably come back to it at a later date when I'm in the mood for a world-building fantasy.

Rating 3.5 stars

I'm having a hard time deciding how to rate this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed parts of this book and thought the writing was great. On the other hand, it took me so long to listen to this book that I feel like it took away from the story. I think the world was very interesting. It did seem more character driven than plot driven and I usually like a good plot when I read fantasy. Not to say that there wasn't a plot, but I wanted a little more from it. I liked the dual narration from the audiobook and thought the narrators had a good pace. Again, it was a super long book and I didn't have time to just listen to it in large chunks like I normally would for audiobooks, so I think that took away from my experience. I also did not read the other books in this series; however, I don't feel like that took away at all from the book. It had a slow start, but once it got going, I really did enjoy the book.

A thrilling, gripping, and romantic epic of the youngest god in her realm, Mathilda the Herald discovers what it's like to grow up too quickly. A messenger god, Mathilda runs through the different worlds supplying information, sees alliances form, watches friendships thrive, and witnesses major betrayal in broken allegiances amongst the gods. The hierarchy of the gods and their ability to steal powers from one another is unlike anything I've read before, and it could rival ancient Greek and Roman mythology when it comes to stories of heroic journeys. You can feel her emotional highs and lows as she grows into herself.

Her friendship with Vincent begins innocently enough, and the theme of letter writing and messages sets the tone for their friendship. Seeing their relationship develop on page was so heartwarming until they are pulled away from each other. I was flipping pages as fast as I could read to see how they are reunited. The phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is alive and well in their story. It may have even taught me that being vulnerable is ok. Because with vulnerability comes the opportunity to be loved wholly.

This book has consumed my body and soul, and I want nothing more than to follow Mathilda and Vincent around and watch their love story continue.

I had such high hopes for this book, and they did not disappoint. I wanted to savor the beautiful imagery Rebecca Ross paints through her words. I was also really looking forward to returning to the same world as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, but I wasn't sure how they would tie into this book. You do not need to have read the Letters of Enchantment duology to appreciate Wild Reverence, but let me tell you, the connection between the two is so sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Rebecca Ross, SMP, and Saturday Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you are looking for your next romantasy fix, this book is it. While the book was a bit lengthy, I must remember: is it even a romantasy if it isn’t over 500 pages? Anyhoo, the fantasy worldbuilding was relatively easy to follow, and while this book is a prequel to the Divine Rivals duology, the story can be read as a stand-alone. This story was low on spice (especially compared to others of its kind) and high on plot development. I had a great time reading and gave the story a solid four stars.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Matilda is a goddess born into the underworld with full knowledge of her mother but unaware of her father’s lineage. Matilda has the power to carry letters through the different realms and is forced to travel to the sky realm at a young age after witnessing her mother’s death. Before her death, Matilda occupied much of her time reading about the dreams of a mortal, Vincent of Beckett. Their paths cross a lifetime later, and their fateful reunification rewrites both of their futures. Magic, power, and the gods battle while Matilda and Vincent try to remain in each other’s lives.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I will post a review on my page within the month of publication.

Wild Reverence reads as high fantasy! I personally struggled with that and with the first half of the book. It was pretty packed with politics and world building and it kept shifting too much. But once I passed the halfway mark everything started making sense and I finally understood what was going on. It’s a great love story!

I did not know what to expect returning to the world of Cambria. I loved the Divine Rivals duology so much that I was nervous about whether a prequel (but it’s not, really) would work. Well, it worked.

The vibe: The mythology of Cambria is tunics and nectar, constellations and stolen powers, while the mortal lands smell of the Highlands—heather and peat and pine, all wrapped around in tartan. This is the backdrop that births our MCs, Matilda—a young, seemingly unimportant goddess, and Vincent, a reluctant young man turned lord under tragic circumstances.

They meet, befriend, and eventually fall in love (you know this is a romantasy) under strange circumstances, but I believe it. These two are soul mates. He clings onto her like a life buoy (analogy intended), and she keeps him at arm’s length for so long because she’s so scared of losing him.

As before, Rebecca Ross’s prose is sumptuous. I won’t get into the plot because it deserves to be experienced firsthand.

Rebecca Norfolk, Hannah Van Der Westhuyen, and George Weightman lend their voices to the audiobook, and they help you sink away into this world. I only received a sneak peek of the audiobook and was sad it ended so quickly because I would have loved to listen to them read the whole book to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books; Rebecca Norfolk, Hannah Van Der Westhuyen, George Weightman (narrators), and Rebecca Ross (author) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.