Hands down my favorite read of the year!
As a standalone prequel, Wild Reverence can be read before Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. But personally, I recommend reading the duology first. There are small parts of this story that fit together with the others, and the nostalgia hit me right in the feels!
The main character being a young goddess gave us a unique view into the history of the gods and goddesses. The progression of her power, the expectations placed on her, and the relationships she built along the way shaped who she became in the most masterful and stunning way. And don’t even get me started on the absolute YEARNING! This wasn’t just romance, it was LOVE in its purest form.
It’s hard to put into words how beautifully written this was and it hit every one of my heartstrings, to the point that I was sobbing. Rebecca Ross writes emotion like no other, and I felt everything.
Can not wait until this is released, I need a shelf trophy immediately!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for the eARC! I am beyond thankful.

Wild Reverence transports readers back into the Letters of Enchantment world, building out rich lore that sets the stage for Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. As an absolute lover of the original duology, I was thrilled when I found out this was going to be Ross’s next release. Now that I’ve finished this novel, I can also say that I’m thrilled to have absolutely loved it.

The pacing is a bit on the slower side at first, setting up necessary background and foundation. We get to learn, in depth, about the gods, their complicated relationships, and the magic that underscores this world. However, the book quickly picks up pace as the tension and conflicts build.

As we’ve come to expect from Ross, both the writing and the romance are perfect. Matilda and Vincent’s love story is woven through decades with lyrical prose that’s poetic, full yearning, and has captivating emotional depth. Humans and gods are worlds apart—both literally and metaphorically—and that dynamic is explored really well as the romance develops. Matilda is untrusting and emotionally shielded, while Vincent is hyperaware of the impossibility of their love. Their individual journeys are just as satisfying as the romantic development itself.

This is yet another incredible release from Ross, and I can’t wait to keep reading her stories.

✧SUMMARY✧
Matilda, a herald, was born among treacherous and ruthless gods, capable of killing and stealing each other’s powers. As she grows into her power and learns to defend herself, she discovers that a mortal boy named Vincent has been very curiously dreaming of her. As the goddess of fate (and death) would have it, through years of betrayal and realms of distance, Matilda and Vincent find that their destinies are forever woven together.

✧TROPES✧
☼ Immortal x mortal
☼ Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
☼ Slow burn, yearning
☼ Marriage of convenience
☼ Ruthless gods
☼ Secrets and betrayal
☼ Multiple worlds and realm travel

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

What a beautiful read! I loved reading about how Matilda grew up in the world of the gods and how she came to be in the mortal realm. I was surprised that the mortal realm had a medieval feel in this book because Rebecca Ross's other books in this world are set more in the 1900's. It made the world in Wild Reverence feel both familiar and different. I enjoyed seeing the characters growth and the interactions between the mortal world and the realms of the gods.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC! Wow, I straight up loved this book. I fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ writing with Divine Rivals, was enchanted by the Elements of Cadence series’ magic and world building, and this book was yet another example of stunning world building, precious romance and fascinating magic systems.

This book is set hundreds of years prior to Divine Rivals in the same world (but you do not need to have read DR in order to enjoy this book). The story begins with the birth of Matilda, who is a half Skyward and half Underling goddess- the two enemy god clans. Her magic is to be a messenger between the two clans as well as the mortal realm. She is tasked to provide a message to Lord Vincent Beckett, who is the mortal she befriended while a child. The two must pretend to marry in order to help defend his people. She is then embroiled in the conflict of mortals as well as embark on a journey of self discovery to embrace her magic and find the love she always desired.


This book was pretty battle heavy as Vincent has to protect his kingdom (dukedom? Lord-dom? Honestly not totally sure) against his treacherous uncle who is trying to usurp his seat. Matilda helps Vincent and his people, and throughout the book discovers different and awe-inspiring aspects of her own magic. I am usually not a big lover of battle-heavy books, but I still really enjoyed this one. The romance is an integral part of the book, but I would say its importance is equal to that of the magical and political intrigue of the book as well as a coming of age-esque story for Matilda.

Some things I loved:
Bade and Matilda’s relationship
Bade and Adria’s relationship (I would LOVE a novella about them)
How the book tied in with Divine Rivals
The magic system of the gods
The romance between Matilda and Vincent, of course

Things I didn’t love (not even disliked though because I genuinely just loved this book):
I was surprised by the fake marriage. Not a bad thing, I just didn’t expect it.
I’m a smidge confused by the final conflict (how did a certain someone get the Eithral arrow at the end? I must have missed something important).
I would have been interested to see more of the Skyward realm.

Overall, I really loved this book. I would definitely recommend to a fellow fantasy romance lover.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan / Saturday Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Will set in the same world of Divine Rivals, this story is set way before it. The story is imersive and consuming. Ross' writing is lyrical. But the characters do lack some depth. But I'm willing to overlook it.

This was such an amazing prequel set in the universe of Divine Rivals! Learning about the magic system and how the gods/goddesses develop and steal powers was very interesting, and witnessing Matilda's character development from 13 years old to 23 made me feel so connected to her and her journey. I really enjoyed learning about the connections she had with some gods/goddesses, and the main conflict for the last half of the book had my attention captivated the entire time! I wish we could have seen more of Matilda and Vincent's connection, and felt their romance was a bit underdeveloped in comparison to the rest of the story. If you enjoyed divine rivals or like reading about an interesting magic system, you'll like this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

There are a million stories and legends and heartbreaks and myths in this one book.

This world that Rebecca Ross has created is expansive and magical and tumultuous. I was completely bewitched by the politics of the gods. the practice of killing each other for constellations, for power lent this world a sinister, uncomfortable feeling that seeps through every word, every scene. The machinations that go on on-page but also off-page are delicious and winding, as surprising as they are bound by rules. I absolutely adore the world that Rebecca has created, the possibilities—and restrictions—that lay within it, and how she brings everything to life with lyrical, romantic, evocative writing.

What an immense tale this is. We follow Matilda from her birth, through her childhood, and watch her become a full-fledged goddess. It is a story that is brimming with growth, adventure, love, and loss. I had doubt that what I was reading was her legend, her myth. And on the periphery is a cast of secondary characters that are boundlessly alive and brimming with their own faults and curses and loves. It is so clear that the path we tread and follow in this book is somehow all-encompassing, but also only one thread in a vast tapestry.

And whenever I think about Matilda and Vincent, I ache. It is clear from the first mention of Vincent, further into the book than I had expected, that these two are meant to be. Their souls and their fates so intertwined that I was eager to see what the loom would spin for them and to see where they would both end up throughout the long journey of this book. However, despite the fact that they are tethered together in such integral ways, they are barely ever with each other—and, even worse, their time together is almost always overshadowed by a multitude of misunderstanding and missed opportunities. Even in moments where they are are open and bare to each other, wanting to connect and speak the truth, it is only a fleeting, brief respite before forces out of their control tear them apart again. They spend far more time thinking about and yearning for each other than they do ever talking.

That is not to say that their connection isn't strong. They have one of the most moving, emotional romances that I have read this year. the way they think about each other, I don't think I am the only one aching. They burn and hurt and pine and suffer and cry and laugh and glow for each other—there are so many lines that I've highlighted because they've made me catch my breath, because they so passionately describe their love for each other. and perhaps that is a double-edged sword, because I know their bond is so strong; I just wish I could have languished in it, seen it, held it more.

The one thing that I am wholly satisfied with though, is the way Rebecca writes. She describes feelings with colors, and sounds with tastes, and sight with metaphors of the sun and moon and wind. And her writing makes me feel like I am in a fairytale. It was the perfect style for this type of story, and I am eagerly awaiting her next release, hopefully something that will give me this floating, suspended, magical feeling again.

Wild Reverence is a beautifully written prequel to Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. Rebecca Ross expands her world with more depth into the gods, goddesses, and the many realms that shape this universe, weaving together themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and forbidden love. The prose is beautiful, intricate, and detailed!

The heart of the story lies with Matilda and Vincent, a goddess and a mortal. Their connection spans years, realms, and impossible obstacles. Every reunion between them carried so much weight, and I found myself aching for them to finally have their chance. Their romance felt more adult: patience, yearning, devotion, and loyalty. They have unique methods of correspondence throughout the book (a lovely nod to DR/RV!). I thought the dreamwalking aspect of this story was interesting as well.

I loved the epilogue — tying in details from Divine Rivals and the origins of the beloved magic typewriters!

That said, the first half did feel slow with its heavier focus on worldbuilding and lore. Once the midpoint arrived, though, the story’s momentum pulled me in. That shift is why I ultimately landed on this rating.

"𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦."

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘤𝘢 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘴, 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 / 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

4/5 ⭐️
For me, Rebecca Ross defines the Romantasy genre. She beautifully weaves tales full of love and heartbreak within rich, dynamic worlds. She accomplishes what many fail to do in this genre; she creates full fantastical worlds — not half baked ones — with a rich romance plot. Because at the end of the day romantasy should follow the beats of a romance story, but should not let the fantasy aspect fall to the wayside.

This was a beautiful addition to her Divine Rivals duology. Yet, I also felt the threads from her River Enchanted duology, and even her Dreams Lie Beneath story. As if she is Fate and Death weaving this new narrative with threads from her past stories. In a way, it worked. It felt new, yet familiar.

I loved the world, the gods, the romance. This was the kind of book that sucks you in as you read. Yet, when I put it down to go to bed, I start to realize its flaws. You don’t notice them when reading, but when I wasn’t, I began to think of how I liked Matilda in the first part. Before she and Vincent reunite. I loved learning of her childhood and the other gods. About the tension between them. It made those moments beneath the words that showed love between the gods even more heartwarming. But then the main plot/conflict, the one after she and Vincent are reunited, even them being reunited, felt weak. Forced. Like I could see the author’s hand forcing it to happen. Everything following felt rushed. Like it could’ve been drawn out into more books so things could’ve developed more naturally and had time to breathe. At the same time, our two main characters had me also questioning things. Vincent is sweet, gentle, kind of giving sad boi energy. But I don’t feel like I actually know him. I like him and it took me till I’m lying in bed to be like, but do I know him? Especially compared to Matilda who is fascinating. Who is kind of giving a fighter yet not in that trying to be a man energy. But also, do I know her? As if they both lacked depth to them. Though, Matilda did have more than Vincent. And that’s sad cause we have his POV.

Despite that, I still really enjoyed the story. It was one in which I caught myself reading aloud excerpts as I went. I was highlighting so many lines. It was lovely and heartwarming. Though the most heartwarming parts actually came from the love other than the main pairing. I would highly recommend this book. Especially to anyone who has enjoyed Rebecca Ross in the past. There is something magical about her writing that makes you want to do it too. So after this long and vague review, I would definitely encourage others to pick this book up.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan / Saturday Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I’m honestly not sure where to begin there’s just so much to love about this book. The characters, the world building, the intricate storyline, it all comes together so beautifully.

Wild Reverence is a slow-burn adult fantasy, and every moment of that buildup is worth it, especially when it comes to the relationship between Matilda and Vincent. Rebecca Ross takes her time with the characters, not only focusing on the main pair but also giving depth and care to others like Bade and Nathaniel. Each realm feels vivid and thoughtfully crafted, adding layers to the overall story.

I don’t give out 5-star ratings easily, but this book absolutely earns it. I would gladly read more about these characters and their world. A stunning and immersive read.

"For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love"

"And I wondered how it was possible for my heart to miss something that I had never experienced."

Rebecca’s writing is so beautiful. I was so excited to be back in the world of divine rivals felt like coming home but it also made me look at that series with an entirely different perspective! I highly recommend going into this book blind!

Rebecca Ross can transform my thinking into a completely different world that I could ever imagine! What a wild ride between the worlds of the gods and humans. Ross always is so imaginative in her story telling.

Literally one of the best books I've ever read. I love it so much and I am consistently amazed by Ross' prose.

I didn't know people could write like that

This book was beautiful. The writing, the characters, the conflicts were dealt with in a real way with real consequences; it felt like Rebecca Ross crafted this book a letter at a time and they fit togther in a beautiful mosaic by the end.

We follow Matilda, a seemingly average goddess, and Vincent, a mortal Lord who dreams of her. I loved that she was the powerful one, that they were irrevocably obsessed with each other, and the way the realms of the Godesses and Gods were set up. This book was perfection and I can't wait to read everything Ross has written.

Oh, where do I begin? I’ll start with Matilda, our young goddess and FMC. Matilda was a breath of fresh air. A goddess finding her strength but also her softness; her journey is wrought with immortal devastation and agony, but also mortal love.
Vincent (our MMC) reminded me of Roman Kitt in a fond way, if Roman was a bit more broody. A mortal man thrust into a world of immortal intrigue and politics, who, even with the odds stacked against him (an irreverent man) learns to trust a certain goddess.

Their interconnected journey (but also their respective, solo journeys) will stick with me for a long time. You can find me bottling up these words to drink later (if you know, you know) 🖤

4.5/5 stars!!!! (rounded up)

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

Over the year I’ve been going through all of Rebecca Ross’s books but this one has to be my new top one!

I read the letters of enchantment duology early in the year (Divine Rivals was my favorite but now it’s gotta be this one) and I really liked how this was kinda a prequel but it wasn’t really connected (what I mean is it’s in the same world and happened before Iris and Rowan but it’s pretty much its own story and can technically be read on its own) there definitely was some stuff that connected- the epilogue was literally so perfect!!!!
It was really nice to read it as its own story with just little touches added to connect back.


The romance between Vincent and Matilda was SO awesome and real and I’m actually obsessed with how cute they are! At some points I had to reread certain parts multiple time cuz I just loved them so much
(Don’t even ask me amount of times I showed little quotes to my friends cuz they literally made me squeal so loud 😆 )

Also I loved how this book was dual POV cuz then you got to see both Vincent’s side and and Matilda’s side as they fell in love with each other and got to see both their journeys and it’s literally just so awesomeeeee

The only reason why this is 4.5 and not a full 5 is because when I first started I felt like the book was a liiiittle bit slow but I got caught up into the world building and characters pretty quickly so I’d only give half a start off for that

I’m 100000% recommending this to all my friends who’ve read the letters of enchantment duology and even to the ones who haven’t cuz it was just that good :)

Yall go read Wild Reverence RIGHT NOW!!! (Or when it comes out lol)

Thank you Rebecca Ross, Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Wow my heart hurts. Rebecca Ross outdid herself with this one. You can expect her beautiful lyrical writing and quotes that will make your heart ache.

This story is a prequel hundreds of years before the "Letters of Enchantment" duology. Ross simultaneously tells a heartbreakingly beautiful story between Matilda, a young goddess, and Vincent, a mortal man, while explaining all the lore of the gods hundreds of years before Iris sits at her typewriter.

“This will break us both in the end,” I said. “It will break me, to live on when you have breathed your last. That I will continue to come to the river, years from now, and see you in every current, in every rainfall, only to remember that you are gone.”

Admittedly, I found the first 20% very slow but all of the events in the beginning end up being important later so I can appreciate them in hindsight.

The rest of this story was a masterpiece.

Thank you to St.Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This has been briefly featured on my TikTok @alireadsanywhere but a full review is to come!

divine rivals is one of my favorite books of all time, so i was excited going into this one and i was hopeful that it would live up to my expectations. safe to say, it absolutely did. this book was so beautiful and had me hooked from the dedication page. by the time i got to the (perfect) epilogue, i had laughed, cried, and smiled so much. it felt so good being back in this world, and i cannot wait to see what rebecca does next!

5⭐️ literally deserves a standing ovation!!It is a breathtakingly beautiful fantasy romance that was so deeply romantic and atmospheric.

This is the 6th book I have read by Rebecca Ross and she truly does not disappoint. I can’t even count how many times I got goosebumps and teary eyes from specific quotes in this book. I thought the pacing was perfect and the storyline was absolutely captivating. The romance between Matilda (a goddess) and Vincent (a mortal) spans over many years and had so much longing and yearning I was obsessed!! I also really cared for the side characters as well and the relationship the main characters had with them.

This world is filled with gods and goddesses, magic, portals, war, longing, and characters who would do anything for the people they love.

• Fantasy romance
• Gods and goddesses
• Multiple realms
• Dual pov


Thank you so much to Saturday books and netgalley for the e-arc.

Wild Reverence is set in the same world as the Divine Rivals duology, set in the distant past. While reading the original duology would enhance the reading experience, I do not believe it is necessary in order to enjoy this book.

Ross once again creates a story which is incredibly atmospheric and immersive. I always enjoy her style of writing and it was no different in this novel. I enjoyed getting the background stories on the Gods and Goddesses set within the Divine Rivals world. However, for me, this book really shined in the last 20-30% of the story. It felt that we were really getting into the meat of the story and the romance finally began to feel believable.

My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. I felt like the beginning there was a lot happening but also not? I, unfortunately, found it kind of boring and did not want to pick up the book. However, as I previously stated, the end of the book redeemed the story for me. I don't think a lot of other readers will find this same complaint, but I just kept expecting more.

Despite my feelings of this book, I do still recommend it to those who love the original duology. There are clearly a lot of people who love this installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.