This book was incredible. I was skeptical after reading the Letters of Enchantment duo, as it was more geared towards YA, but I had an amazing time with this story! I loved the deeper look at what the gods from the original duo were like. Matilda’s upbringing, from her real family to her (much more important) found family, shaped her into the goddess she was. Her fault line being at her heart, and her heart being for Vincent, was incredibly endearing. Vincent, in all his human frailty, was the perfect foil to Matilda, in all her godly power. Their mutual respect for one another, from childhood into adulthood, was a beautiful thing to read as it unfolded. The beginning of the book did unfold quite slowly, but the pacing in this book is a plot device. The beginning is very slow, but intentionally so. As the story progressed, there were times when I devoured the words and couldn’t read them fast enough and there were others where I was content to take the pages slowly. It was almost like a trick at first. I wondered if things would pick up, or if the whole book would move slowly. But the pace does change, and the way this book was crafted is something that left me in awe at many points throughout my read. I would absolutely recommend this book! It’s a great standalone novel, but it is also a beautifully written prequel to the Letters of Enchantment. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time to come!

I had a really hard time getting into this story. I LOVED Divine Rivals, so I expected to love this one, but I just couldn't bring myself to really care that much about the characters, and it make it difficult for me to enjoy the story. This one just isn't for me.

Ok so I was super excited to start this one and this would actually be the first book of hers that I have read. HOWEVER, this was just not my cup of tea. Honestly I was so bored and struggled to even make it to 50%, I just had to stop. I could not go anymore with the longing and yearning and I just felt bleh...
Super appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this one and I am super sad that I did not enjoy it more.

Couldn’t have been happier to dive back into Cambria!! This universe is so amazing and I just love it so much.
Rebecca Ross has this absolutely beautiful way of writing that I adore. She so stunningly strings words together and I’m always filled with so much joy while reading.
I gave the original duet 5 stars, with the thought that the gods didn’t feel necessary..this really tied them in so much and I just, ugh!! Love it.
THE YEARNING, PLEEEEASE!!
I will read anything this author puts out, these past three guaranteed that.

Wild Reverence is classic, beautiful Rebecca Ross world building and writing. I really enjoyed this, however it did make me wish that more of this would have been included in the Divine Rivals duology. It feels a little separate from Divine Rivals because Divine Rivals lacked so much of the magic and fantasy aspect that this feels disconnected or sort of a different universe all together.

As someone who absolutely adored the Letters of Enchantment series, I am pleased to say that this addition to the same universe is fantastic!
Ross is a master world builder, who has created such an interesting magic system. This story sheds light on lore that was already previously established, making it all too exciting to see how the pieces fall into place. I really enjoyed seeing the inner workings of the gods and how their magic works , along with all their different personalities.
Matilda and Vincent were such lovely characters! If you were a fan of the longing and letter writing in Divine Rivals & Ruthless Vows, then you will not be disappointed!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Saturday Books, & SMP for an eARC in exchange for my honest review! And thank you to Rebecca Ross for another enchanting story (I could read so many more stories within this universe)!

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP!

There's not many times a book leaves me speechless but this one did. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming. Lyrical and melodic. It was everything I love about Rebecca Ross' story telling and prose. This book is one of those that will stick with me for a long time. It grants itself space next to the likes of Circe by Madeline Miller in its epic spanning of time and examination of what it means to love and be loved and cements Ross as one of this generations best writers.

Matilda is a young goddess with the magic to be a Herald between the human, Underling, and Skyward realms. When Vincent, a mortal, dreams of her, she is drawn to him first as a child, and later as a young woman.

Now, more than a decade after Vincett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life, she comes into his bedroom window with a letter for him and unexpectedly ends up offering her aid in a battle for his kingdom. This may be the chance for Matilda to change the violent ways of the gods and learn about her inner strength.

Why Kirsten loves it
Rebecca Ross is a fantasy writer like no other, and despite not having yet read the Divine Rivals, the prequel, Wild Reverence, absolutely captivated my imagination. I couldn’t put this mystical tale down. The worldbuilding was incredible, but not overwhelming. Vincent and Matilda’s love story was a slow-burning friendship to lovers tale that changed the course of the gods. I ate it up and am now dying to read Divine Rivals!

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross is an expansive, myth-soaked romance that plunges the reader into a divine realm where love, power, and grief intertwine with gorgeous prose and aching emotion. Ross crafts Matilda, a goddess with messenger magic, as a heroine who must grow, suffer betrayal, and risk everything—including vulnerability—to protect both the mortal world and her own heart. The relationship between Matilda and Vincent—the mortal lord who once dreamed of her—feels slow-burn, fate-laden, and deeply compelling, with tender moments that contrast powerfully against a backdrop of divine politics and danger. The worldbuilding is lush and immersive, with gods and mortals, realms and magic all vividly drawn; while some elements are complex, they add richness rather than confusion. Overall, Wild Reverence is a sweeping romantasy that will deeply satisfy readers who love emotional stakes, divine lore, and romance that feels both inevitable and hard-won.

Wild Reverence is a prequel to the Letters of Enchantment duology and I adored it! It was a bit slow to start but once Matilda is a little older it really picks up and managed to fully grab my attention. As expected the writing is beautiful, the world-building is phenomenal and story is full of drama with a romance between a lesser goddess and a mortal man. What more could you want?

I absolutely loved the romance between Matilda and Vincent. They may be destined to be together but their love story is the furthest from easy. It’s a slow-burn full of yearning, tension and incredibly sweet moments.

I loved being back in this world and learning more about the gods and goddesses. The gods can be cruel, some more than others, so there will be some you can’t help but despise and others you end up loving. Bade, the God of War, was easily my favorite side character. His bond with Matilda was just so precious!

There’s a moment near the end that links to Divine Rivals and oh, it was so great. And that epilogue? Perfection.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Rebecca Ross, Netgalley, and MacMillion Publishers for the ARC of this book. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so to be able to read it early was a blessing. This books was profoundly written, i’m always astounded at the difference in Rebecca’s writing compared to the rest of the genre or just romance in general. She describes the details of things so eloquently it allows my imagination to picture all of it instead of having to look up what the characters look like. I was highlighting this book like a madwoman. It was like a warm hug to be back into the Divine Rivals world, and to see it all before was hauntingly beautiful. I love a man who yearns so this was PERFECT. The different traumas and trials Matilda had to overcome helped her to be brave but also take down her armor around those she can trust her fault line to. Her relationship with Bade tugged on my heart. I have a very close relationship with my stepdad and think of him like my father so any parallels make me feel seen. Rebecca writes characters that you feel so connected to and they are flawed and relatable. This book devestated me in the best possible way

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of one of my most anticipated reads this year! Rebecca Ross is one of my favorite authors and Wild Reverence did not disappoint! I was so happy to return back to the world of Divine Rivals and fall in love with Matilda & Vincent! This book is absolutely beautiful — the prose, the atmospheric world building, and the characters have been my favorite by Rebecca yet! It was an achingly beautiful story that will stay for me for a very long time ❤️

DNF @ 50%

i tried. i swear i tried, and honestly, i probably would have given up much sooner if i wasn’t listening to this on audio. unfortunately, i felt the length of this book and not in a good way. the narrators were great, but this story is just so freaking boring. 13 days to get through 50%?! yeah, nope. time to move on. i thought the world itself was unique, but matilda was just so bland. i couldn’t connect with her and i really just don’t care to find out what happens to her and vincent. i loved bade (sp?) and warren was interesting but i don’t think they were who i should be leaning towards so yeah. i really wanted to love rebecca ross but i just don’t think she’s for me.

thanks to st martins press and macmillan audio for gifted copies. my thoughts are my own.

Truly - this was one of my most anticipated books for this year, and it was everything I’d hoped for and more! 5 stars is not nearly enough to express the depth of my love fortis story.

Rebecca Ross has crafted a deeply beautiful, poignant, heartfelt story of perseverance, of faithfulness in the face of hopelessness, and the enduring power of love.

Matilda and Vincent’s story ripped open my heart, and I cried and bled through Act 5, making my own deals with the gods that they would find their happy ending.

Learning the origin stories of the gods from the Letters of Enchantment series - and the epilogue that tied the books together across time - was an amazing journey.

My heartfelt thanks to the author and Saturday Books for the opportunity to advance read this incredible story.

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross is a beautiful, captivating and heartfelt story.

Matilda is the Herald of the Gods, a goddess of the Underlings and Skywards. As a god child her destiny is entwined with a mortal, Vincent, whose dreams she appears in when they are both young. After tragedy and years of separation, she is tasked with delivering a letter to Vincent that will save his life and bring them back together.

This prequel of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows is a memorable read with its beautiful writing and heartfelt storytelling.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rebecca Ross is one of the fantasy authors who keep me picking up fantasy books. No matter what she writes, it's a world I am ready and unready for at the same time. once again I was blown out of the water by her writing and ability to create such an encapsulating world that helped my mind escape. 4.5 stars

First things first - I am PURELY thankful that I am the RIGHT audience for Rebecca Ross. Her writing effortlessly seaps through my veins like magic and I am, time and time again, mesmerized by her rich worldbuilding, character arcs, tension and a masterclass romance that yearns and soars into a crescendo. What a blessing it is that her books always hit the right spots for me.

Now let's talk about Wild Reverence - ☆☆☆☆☆ (but truly, as much stars as Matilda's constellations)

What strikes me most is the richness of the writing itself. There’s a cadence to Ross’s prose - with each sentence unfolding like waves - measured, deliberate, and deeply enchanting. The foreshadowing to Letters of Enchantment is woven so seamlessly that it feels like a secret whispered between lines, a promise of more magic yet to come. We know this is set 600 years before Divine Rivals - so do we read it before (like a prequel) or after the duology? To me, the timing of this couldn't have been more perfect. It's like you know some things in between the lines are intertwined to the duology but also it stands in itself and nothing short of breathtaking.

Watching Matilda bloom into her powers is like witnessing the dawn break. It's illuminating against the eternal rift between gods. How the mortals tip the scales of mortality and their daring choices defy even fate and death. I know readers felt this is too long but even if this is thousand pages long, I would devour it as it is always worth my time.

Vincent and Matilda isn't your regular love story. Theirs is a connection forged even before their eyes met. There is a thread that tethers them to each other across realms and this tender aching pull that lingers, that makes me yearn for them to be together.

Also that epilogue 🤍

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross, book 1 in a duo logy. Lush, Resilient, Tense.

I rated this book 4 stars.

Rebecca Ross has such a gift for weaving lyrical prose with heartfelt storytelling, and Wild Reverence is no exception. I really enjoyed Divine Rivals and this brings you back to that world.

The novel follows Matilda, the youngest god of her clan, and Vincent of Beckett a mortal who dreams of Matilda but has never met her. Until she tumbles into his bedroom on day bringing a letter for him. As they navigate a world shaped by ancient magic, fraught loyalties, and the pull between personal desire and duty. When unexpected revelations force them onto a path of sacrifice and discovery, they must decide how much they’re willing to risk for love, truth, and a future worth fighting for.

I loved the atmosphere, Ross has a way of making every setting feel vivid and every relationship—whether friendship, romance, or rivalry—carry real weight. The pacing slowed at times, especially in the middle, but the payoff in the final chapters made the journey worth it.

Overall, Wild Reverence was a beautiful, immersive read with emotional resonance, a touch of magic, and characters you’ll want to learn more about in the next book.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martins Press| Saturday Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

As Divine Rival biggest fan (fight me), this book had a lot to live up to and somehow it surpassed my expectations.

Matilda is the youngest goddess in her clan but she doesn’t quite fit. She is both Underling and Skyward but doesn’t feel at home with either group. Then there’s Vincent, a third born son of a lord who sees Matilda in his dreams. Through these dreams they find comfort in each other until they are forced apart. They come back together many years later where everything and somehow nothing has changed.

This is told through Rebecca Ross’s always beautiful prose. Her words took me into their world and their love story and it was captivating. There was yearning there was love and there was accepting the love you don’t think you’ve earned. Did it make me cry? Yes. Did it make me love the Letters of Enchantment series more than I thought possible? Yes. I truly never want to say goodbye to this beautiful world.

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. And I ate it up!!! It is a beautiful story of the family that you choose and learning to navigate the world around you. The magic system is unique and I thought the setting was well-developed. I am not quite sure I would label this as a romance novel. There is a storyline of romance but not explicitly spelled out on page.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Saturday Books for an ARC of Wild Reverence!