This prequel to the Letters of Enchantment duology is an absolute must-read! Dual POV Matilda, the young goddess and Vincent, the mortal boy who has nightmares and a goddess Matilda, who answers. Plus, learning more about the gods, the story is amazing. Rebecca has such a magical way of writing that it is so beautiful and emotional that the characters are lovable, real, and strong, and you feel submerged in their world. This slow burn fantasy will have you on edge between love,loss, betrayal, found family, and the courage it is unforgettable and a definite reread.

Thank you, Rebecca Ross, Netgalley, St.Matins Press, and Saturday Books for this ARC. My review is my own

Wao! Truly loved this story, it was beautifully written and the world building, the imaginary was just incredible! Rebecca Ross definitely delivered with this one .
This was my first book by Rebecca Ross and upon learning this was a prequel to Divine Rivels, & Ruthless Vows, I immediately went ahead and purchased the duology.
Honestly , there is no way that I could explain this story made me feel. I am usually not a romance reader but since the beginning I was drawn to the story. It was nothing short of magical.

Absolutely loved both Matilda and Vincent!! their love story was heartbreaking but at the end coming together and growing together in two worlds, in person and their dreams.

Thank you Netgally for introducing me to such a beautiful story, for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this book in exchange for honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Ross and St. Martin’s publishing for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As someone who loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, I was unbelievably excited for this story and lived up to the hype I created in my head.

This story takes place before the events in Letters of Enchantment, and follows Mathilda, the herald of the Gods. The book starts following Mathilda as a child, and events that shaped her. As a child of an Underling and a Skyward, Mathilda is an anomaly. As a child, she is able to enter dreams and nightmares, and does so with a mortal child named Vincent, who affectionately calls her “Red” before he formally knows her name. Vincent and Mathilda strike up a friendship, but after tragedy strikes, Mathilda disappears for thirteen years. Along with leaving her home in Underling, she also leaves Vincent.

Upon her first return to Underlying as an adult, she is tasked to deliver a message to Vincent, and tumbles into his window. While Vincent is understandably distrustful, they are able to reach a tentative alliance, and are able to realize that they still share a connection that neither can really explain.

Wild Reverence is so beautifully written, and the story is both hopeful and heartbreaking. Ross does such a great job in developing the characters and the world. Where Letters of Enchantment focused primarily on humans fighting in a war between Gods (Dacre and Enva, who’s story we get to see start in this book), this story focuses on love between an immortal and a human that expands between lifetimes and all expectations. It also delivers on the bonds of friendship and how it can surpass expectations.

4.75 ⭐ (rounded up)
🌶️

The perfectly divine ending in prequel form to the Letters of Enchantment duology, Wild Reverence is as enchanting as it is tortuous (in the best way). With astoundingly gorgeous prose, it takes you an expedition encompassing three resplendeny imagined realms brimming with lore. Told in dual POV with distinct voices, you're immersed in these characters, their heartbreak and love - you can't help but love and root for them.

💬 If you liked Letters of Enchantment (LoE) but wanted more from it, had questions, etc - this book gives you that more. For example, more exploration of how divine powers/magic work. I rates rate this higher than I rated either books in the duology (think they were about a 4 ⭐, maybe 4.5, for me).

📖 Taking place in the world from the LoE duology (book 1 being Divine Rivals, then Ruthless Vows), this book could also stand alone. However, for maximum impact I recommend reading the duology first.

✍🏼 Gorgeous prose that nears the lyrical line at times, without crossing into purple. Ross has a knack for writing eloquently that I appreciate and enjoy. There seems to be intention and thought behind her word choices.

There were a handful of times, however, that word choices felt repetitive (like irreverent being used 9x throughout). There are a few words this happened with, one of which I noticed in LoE. Once my brain notices this sort of stuff, it breaks immersion a bit for me.

🗺️ Beautifully expanded from LoE and richly imagined, this is a book I lived within the pages of and felt bereft when it ended.

🔮 We get a well developed and explained magic system that's out of this word. The celestial nature of their magic is new to me and I found it exciting to read.

👥 Excellent character development. Ross gives you characters to love and love to hate. They have dimension and nuance, and I'm actually a bit sad that they aren't real. 😆

💖 The romance is divine in its beauty. Slow burn, you get time to see their relationship grow and change.

🌶️ While there are no true, fully explicit scenes, there's some spice (as in, I would say this isn't YA). There are a couple fade to black/closed door scenes. They read as realistic and feel well timed/placed. Their emotional connection makes these scenes so much more.

The spice and romance are about the yearning, on both sides.

📚 If you liked: Letters of Enchantment duology (also by Rebecca Ross), Tress of the Emerald Sea (Brandon Sanderson), or A Study in Drowning (Ava Reid) then I think you'd enjoy this.

Thank you to @ Rebecca Ross @Netgalley @ St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this eARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I have loved every single book I've read by Rebecca Ross but I want to say first that this is vastly different then her other novels. I consider her books somewhere between regular fantasy and "cozy" fantasy because of how light her books usually are. This book had SO much going on, that I can't say that about this one. BUT, I really enjoyed this book!!

As always, Rebecca Ross writes truly beautiful relationships between her characters. The relationship between Matilda and Bade was my absolute favorite in this one. 💙😭 It had me tearing up and I was very disappointed we didn't get a scene between them near the end.

Overall, I loved returning to the world of the Letters of Enchantment duology and I sincerely hope it isn't the last one we get! Thanks @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#books #bookstagram #reading #arcreader #arcreview #netgalley

This book is perfect for those who really loved the romance and emotional toll of Divine Rivals but wanted more in the world building. This is a standalone and wraps up perfectly.

This book is a little longer than Divine Rivals was and it doesn’t automatically jump right into the romance, you have to read this for the flow of the story and the experience the full affect of where this story takes you. I had no problem giving this book my full attention from page one, I never wanted to set it down.

The relationship between the two main characters is beautiful, emotional, and utterly breathtaking. The build up of the back story to get to the main storyline was perfectly done, I wanted to soak up every little bit of information that was handed to me wrapped up within enchanting wording.

I could not blink or breathe at times as I did not want to miss a single second. I loved the relationship between Matilda and Vincent as well as her true parental relationship with the God of War. This story outdoes Divine Rivals and truly deserves more than a five star rating from me. I could not have asked for a better book, and I fear I will forever be chasing the feel that this story gave me.

👍 So so SO happy to be returning to the world of Divine Rivals!!! This book was set before DR, but it adds a lot more depth to the gods and goddesses. We get to see more of how their world works from the lens of new goddess Matilda learning. Bade wound up being one of my favorite gods though! Also, this author knows how to write epic love 😍 poor little reluctant Vincent! And with a fake marriage/marriage of convenience tropes to boot!

Rebecca Ross once again delivers a lush, dreamy world in Wild Reverence. The story follows Matilda, a young goddess with the power to send messages, and Vincent, a mortal lord who once connected with her in dreams. The writing is smooth and easy to sink into, making the world feel alive and the romance feel both amazing and personal.

That said, I have noticed the pacing can feel uneven, with the ending wrapping up a little quickly... The magic system also isn’t explained in detail, which might didn’t do it for me. But the atmosphere and the character growth was absolutely incredible! WR really delivers. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to linger in its world even after the last page.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Did I find my new favorite Rebecca Ross book? MAYBE.

I know this is billed as a prequel/companion to Divine Rivals, but this book was a standalone until the epilogue (as in, you do not need to have read the Divine Rivals duology to connect with this book). It featured the gods from Divine Rivals, but that is where the connection ends.

Man oh man. This book really hooked me from the beginning. The lore, the intrigue, the gods... so good. I loved the mythology; it was unlike anything I've read before. And it kept me hooked through the whole novel. The love story in here? Top notch. The power dynamics? Kept me guessing. The action? The suspense? All perfection.

Honestly, if you're a fantasy reader, this book is for you. It's intricate enough to keep the fantasy lovers engaged, while still approachable for people who don't read high fantasy. I loved it so much.

Wild Reverence is one of the single most beautiful stories that I have ever had the privilege of reading. It was a 6-star, breathtaking, heart wrenching masterpiece that I couldn't look away from, beginning to end. The way that Rebecca Ross writes is mesmerizing in its own right, but Matildas story has its own magic and a timeless feel that I know will have it stand the test of time. The way that her journey unfolded made me feel as though I was walking the path beside her, feeling all her emotions as my own. The political machinations of the divine courts had me on edge for the entirety, but through everything she experienced, she remained true to herself and only grew more resilient. I absolutely loved Matildas character. All of the relationships that she forged were woven with incredible skill, but her love story was the crown jewel. Matildas love for Vincent was reminiscent of Arwens love for Aragorn and felt every bit as ageless and enduring. My heart was racing and I was at the edge of my seat hoping against all hope that their love would conquer all. I adored Divine Rivals, but in my opinion Wild Reverence blew everything about it out of the water. It moved me to tears and brought into stark relief what it truly means to love and be loved in return. Matilda and Vincent will stay in my heart for a long time to come.

3.5⭐️? I’m having a hard time deciding how to rate this. There were aspects I loved and others I really struggled with. First off, thank you NetGalley and St Martens Press for opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I try not to compare a book I just read against previous books from the same author, but since this is in the same world as Letters of Enchantment, I feel okay about it. I LOVED Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. I loved the world, the magic, the characters, the Gods and their story… all of it. It was poetic and beautiful. I struggled a bit with this one. I loved getting to know more about the Gods and their magic. That was really neat. The magic system within that was pretty cool too. I loved Matilda’s back story. Her upbringing. The evolution of her magic. (I did get slightly lost with how she got so powerful and how Adria gave her stars). I also loved the descriptions of the Underworld and Skyward realms and the wastes. That was cool.

I struggled with her and Vincent, once they were adults. They didn’t have chemistry to me. It’s like she just kept disappearing on him. One thing after another kept snagging her away. It was kind of weird to me. I could not visualize what was going on with that castle, the gates, the river, the two lands (Vincent and Hugh’s territories) etc. I struggled with the way they talked. I understand it was set back in time, but this just seemed too drastic. I’m still not sure what the two stars from the Rowena actually did. Gave her the idea to do the ice bridge to pull him out like she envisioned helping him in all his nightmares? I don’t get it.

Did I enjoy it overall? Yes. But I had a hard time getting through it. I did LOVE the end and how it tied into the typewriters for Divine Rivals. That was really cool.

I'll start by saying I wasn't the biggest fan of Divine Rivals because it was marketted to me as a "Romantasy" while it lacked the "fantasy"aspect a lot. It was simple but slow, it was romantic but it wasn't leaning heavily on fantasy.

That said, I must say that Wild Reverence checked all the boxes for me. It was beautifully written, it was addicting, it had good hooks to the Divine Rivals universe but it was it's own thing and I loved every page more than the previous one.
The fantasy of gods and man, the very unique magic system, the love and the betrayals and the villains are well developed.
This is an easy 5*, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2025 ♥️

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC of Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!!!
I STILL HAVE NOT RECOVERED FROM THIS!!!!😭😭😭😭

This was SO beautiful, lyrical, stressful, full of yearning, whimsical, and many other things🤎 This story takes place way before the Letters of Enchantment duology, and give lots of rich backstory to the gods of this world. We follow the goddess Matilda from her birth, and throughout her whole life. We experience everything with her from learning how to defend herself, exploring her powers, learning the power dynamic between the Underlings and Skywards, form friendships, fall in love, and have to decide between her heart and her head. It is truly beautiful and gut wrenching to watch her grapple with what is right and wrong (especially to an immortal), and make the decisions and sacrifices for what she feels is right.

I would say about 30% of this book I had such an underlying sense of anxiety, and by the end I truly felt like my heart was plucked out of my chest, wrung out like a wet towel, and unceremoniously put back in 😩 I loved it so much.

Vincent is THE BOOK HUSBAND😩 he was so full of love and passion and loyalty he made me want to weep.

4.5 rounded up

After falling in love with the Letters of Enchantment duology last year this is exactly what I was needing. The only pieces I felt I had been missing from that original series was more of the gods. More of their worlds, their structures and their characters.

This book gave me exactly this in the form of Matilda.

This was a love story above all else, but its connection to the gods and the world we already know pieces of just wove so well, a loom that Death and Fate created themselves.

I did find myself looking for direction around halfway through the book, only being carried by the will of the characters but no real stakes or information. That did end up evolving and changing and the last 25% of this book really just flew by.

Wonderful story, set in the same universe as Divine Rivals. The story took some time to get into, but all of the details were important to the overall story and world building. Fantastic characters and storyline, definite 5/5 stars again by Rebecca Ross. Feeling extremely thankful to have read an ARC copy from Net Galley before release… will be recommending this new book to everyone!

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. This was my first ARC, and, to say the least, I was blown away. The sweeping romance, the rich world and culture, and the purpose of every word made finishing this book a bittersweet gift of an amazing story that you never want to leave. Returning to the world of Ross's Letters of Enchantment, you are thrown back in time to when the Gods ruled from above and below following a young God, Maltilda, throughout her life and her relationship with a mortal boy as well as the complicated, and dangerous interworking of the courts of the Gods. The story is romantic, and tragic at times, and so poetic you can't put the story down just like Divine Rivals. This story not only is great on its own, but it has expanded the culture and lore of the world that you hadn't even realized was missing in the original duology. It feels like Wild Reverence and the Letters of Enchantment were always meant to exist with one another. For anyone who loved Ross's Elements of Cadence (A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless), Wild Reverence expands the lore and culture of the Divine Rivals world to make it just as rich, vibrate, and magical as the Elements of Cadence world. Although, unlike Divine Rivals, Wild Reverence is mush slower in the beginning. The politics and lore of the Gods is crucial to the plot of Wild Reverence in way that Divine Rivals' plot was not until later. Hence, world building has to happen at the beginning of the story making Wild Reverence slower than Divine Rivals. Even then, its hard not to keep reading and is easier to consume than -in my personal opinion- Ross's Elements of Cadence series that was slower (but so worth it) than The Letters of Enchantment. The world building happens along side the plot and it is easy to get into until the plot really starts to move. I could rambled on forever about how good this book is and how devastated I was when it was over because I had to say goodbye to these characters. I instantly had to pick up the Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows again just to fill the void of finishing this book and to catch how seamlessly Ross wove Wild Reverence and the Letters of Enchantment together. This book had me in me in tears and kept my heart racing along side Maltilda throughout the entire plot. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love sweeping romances and fantasy worlds you wish you could escape into, you will love Wild Reverence

Ok, wow!! The world. The plot. The FMC.

This book was so good! Rebecca Ross' writing is so beautiful and poetic.

I loved this world so much. The characters had so much depth and I loved seeing the FMC, Matilda's, growth throughout the book. The story between her and our MMC, Vincent, was so beautiful, as well as her relationships with the side characters.

This book had me hooked from beginning to end! Highly recommend!

I'm so thankful that I was able to receive an ARC of Wild Reverence. I loved the world that Rebecca created in Divine Rivals so being able to jump back into it was such a treat. Matilda is too rentable at some points and the plot was very intriguing. I never knew where the story was gonna end up because Matilda is so independent that there were so many options for her. Nevertheless, I loved the ending and can't wait to read the final version on Sept 2nd.

This was the most beautifully written book I've ever read. I didn't want this book to end. I wanted to see her have more time with Bade after 7 years in the wastelands.

If you’re a huge fan of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows this book will be for you! I was curious to find out more about the Gods and the magic that takes place. Recurring gods from Divine Rivals get mentioned here in this book. This book is about a goddess named Matilda who learns how to fight and comes into her own person. When Matilda is able to answer and respond dreams from a mortal named Vincent it creates and forms a bond together. Truly loved this book! It has everything and more from her other books! Thank You NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an early copy of this book. Publishing date of September 2, 2025!