I cannot even fathom explaining how good this book was. I am completely lost for words. I really liked Divine Rivals.... I loved this.

Rebecca Ross knows how to write a love story. This book is set in the same world as Divine Rivals with some of the same characters in the background such as Dacre and Enva. It follows the story of a girl goddess named Matilda whose life intertwines with a mortal boy named Vincent. It follows them as they grow up and become adults and all that happens in between.
I loved Bade, the goddess of War, as a side character. His growth was phenomenal. The magic system in this book was really interesting. And learning about the different goddess and gods and their abilities was also interesting.
A couple quotes that I absolutely loved :
“ My home is your home. My arms are a haven for you to rest. My last name is yours if you desire it. I will love you to my grave, and even beyond it, when the mists welcome me, when I am hopefully very old and gray and grouchy and have spent the seasons beside you when you are here and dreaming of you when you are gone.”
“ “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.”
I loved everything about this book! Highly highly recommend if you were a fan of Divine Rivals. Thank you to Rebecca Ross, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the arc all thoughts expressed are my own ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross is absolutely lovely. I did not realize until I was about half way through that it is a prequel to Divine Rivals, which I loved but it's been a while since I read it so I didn't catch on right away. While you likely don't need to read that to enjoy this book, I would encourage you to read Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows first. The original stories slowly came back to me as I read it, and I do wish I had read a summary before I read this, only because there were a lot of references to events that happened in the original books and I'm sure I missed some by not remembering. I still really enjoyed this book though. It would be worth a reread of Divine Rivals for me to make those connections.

I love how the author made Enva and Dacre's story a subplot while telling us about Matilda and Vincent. We learn about their backstory that started the war in Divine Rivals, as well as getting to live through some events and stories that are shared in the first two books. I thought it was well done. We get little snippets and references to Enva and Dacre and it ties everything together quite nicely. This book gives the vibes of Ruthless Vows more than Divine Rivals. It is high fantasy with direct interactions among the gods and mortals and movement between realms. There is a nod to the magical typewriters from Divine Rivals, and the stories have some parallels.

Wild Reverence takes place in an older world - one before any technology advancement - in the time of lords and castles and horses; it introduces a variety of gods and magic. It is a slower story, but full of betrayal, cunning, tragedy and love. There are times where I felt completely heartbroken for Matilda and Vincent as they seem destined to never quite be. It is a story of a childhood love that progresses overtime with short but powerful interactions. Matilda is the herald of the gods, and young for a god. She is cautious and does her best to stay logical and level headed as she navigates the godly world of tricksters. She doesn't succumb to the emotional reactions of mortals, but struggles with the way of the gods. Vincent is a young mortal lord who has lived a tragic life but has somehow drawn the attention of the gods. He is determined to do what's best for his people, and care for them, despite the whims and demands of the gods. He is a cinnamon roll MMC. I adore him and his kind hearted nature. Even in the face of nastiness he is a calming presence.

There is quite a bit of traveling in this book. Matilda is always running around the world and needing to get different places. There were times where it seemed a bit slow, but in those moments she was very introspective and contemplating her life as a god. She doesn't seem to quite fit in well in either realm. When the story ends, I wanted more. I wanted to hear about her life after the story. I appreciated the epilogue because it does fill int hose gaps well, while also tying into the events that started Divine Rivals.

I enjoyed the side characters and the interactions with gods. A lot of story is told in this book, and it is complex and interesting. Each character adds another layer and something meaningful.

I was hoping to hear more about Vincent's mom at the end. She is referenced throughout the story several times but she becomes a loose thread at the end. I had some hopes for some resolution at one point but it didn't come.

Overall, if you enjoyed Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows I think you will enjoy this book. The writing is a bit poetic, especially in the first half of the book. The world building builds upon the two first books, and while it isn't necessary to read those to understand the book, it will make the overall enjoyment of the characters and the world higher. There is a great balance between plot and the love story, and I would correlate the level of spice to what you would find in Throne of Glass. A couple closed door scenes that are not explicit and very tasteful and beautiful. If you enjoy a book of forbidden love, battles and conflict, tragedy and longing, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy! Fiction about gods usually isn’t my cup of tea, but I’ll read anything Rebecca Ross writes—and I’m so glad I did. Her prose and world-building pulled me in instantly, and the story was both magical and deeply captivating. Ross proves yet again that she’s a master of beautiful, enthralling storytelling.

I was so excited to re-enter this world. I adored Divine Rivals. Rebecca Ross did not disappoint with this novel either. She has such a way with words that you get sucked into her world and you become completely immersed in the universe she has created. I loved learning more about the gods in this novel. Then the love story?? Unbelievable. 10/10.

Let me start off by saying thank you to NetGalley for an early release of those book.

As someone who did not read Divine Rivals I will say you don’t need to read those books to understand this book, as this book deals with the Gods of that story.

It did take me a few weeks to read this book which is opposite of my normal reading speed.

Things I loved :
The writing was beautiful, she really sets the scene, so there is a lot of world building in the first 25-30% of the book.

The relationships between gods and mortals - (just the love between the gods of the underworld but also the hate, same with the skyward gods and then the mortals) brings to perspective that all are the same.

The story as a whole I thought was beautiful but could have been shorter as well as the love story could have played out differently. There is a major part where they are not together and you have to get through that 25-30% to get to a marriage of convenience.

The gods, I really did love that portion and how they all intertwined. Almost wish it would have been just about them and nothing to do with the mortals.

Things that held me up:
Pacing - felt so slow - I wanted to eat it up and I didn’t

Matilda and Vincent’s love story - it felt a little forced and they didn’t really know each other when the marriage of convenience happens.

The conflict - there was so much of it that it felt like I was pulled in 100 different directions.

Overall it was a good story, just could have been shorter.

3.5 Stars
.5 🌶️

I absolutely loved stepping back into Rebecca Ross’ world. Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows were some of my favorite reads last year, so when I found out there was another story set in the same universe, with the same gods woven through the narrative, I was beyond excited.
Matilda is such a compelling character, and I was fully invested in both her personal journey and her relationship with Vincent. Ross balances the emotional depth with beautiful prose, and the pacing felt seamless throughout—I never once wanted to put the book down.
This story reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this world in the first place: lyrical writing, immersive mythology, and characters who carve their way straight into your heart. The ending may have broken me a little (in the best way), but it’s a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

5 stars!! One of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. Rebecca Ross’s storytelling is just the best. Her writing knows how to make you fall in love with characters, root for them, and it tugs at your heart strings. Though you don’t have to read Divine Rivals to read this book, the connections made it all the better. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

ARC Review - This book was absolutely beautiful. It was heart breaking, soul wrenching, and made me want to cry at multiple points. It was one of my favorite reads of all time. I don't think I've ever had a book take me on that much of a roller coaster of emotions. It is a love story for the ages written is the stars.

𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎

“𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗅 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗌. 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗐𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆, 𝗐𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗉𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗂𝗍. 𝖭𝗈, 𝖨 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄. 𝖨𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝗐𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖽.”

This was such a beautiful story from the beginning to the end. You can always count on Rebecca Ross to deliver a wonderfully well-written story, and she did just that. I loved this, and if you’re a fan of Iris and Roman be prepared to fall in love again. Matilda and Vincent stole my heart, and I once again fell victim to the childhood friends to lovers trope. I’m a fan now, but it has to be done like this!! No exceptions.

I had the best time seeing bits and pieces from Divine Rivals show up here. As this is a prequel, we get to see the gods, and I adored seeing that new layer of magic. We see Enva and Dacre and how they came to be wed and ultimately how they came to fight. Seeing the dynamic between Underlings and Skywards before the war breaks out was incredibly fun, and it was wonderful to have those big moments of recognition. The “oh shit I know this” moments. The world building wasn’t anything crazy, but I felt so satisfied because of how it pulled from and tied into the Divine Rivals world.

I truly just felt so calm and at peace while reading this? Well when there wasn’t a siege going on and everyone wasn’t in danger. But aside from that, I had the best time swooning over Matilda and Vincent. “𝖨 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗂𝗍 𝖺 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎. 𝖨𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾, 𝖨 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗆𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗉𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗍𝖾𝗋. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝖾𝗍 𝗆𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝖱𝖾𝖽.” Their love story is tragic, devastating, and hopelessly romantic. They’re star-crossed lovers: a goddess and a mortal. They’re destined to be separated by death. And that’s so sad, but it makes them hold on to each other so much tighter in the end.

This wouldn’t be a proper review if I didn’t mention the amazing fatherly relationship between Matilda and Bade. There was something so endearing about seeing the scary god of war be so soft for Matilda, for the girl he raised and cared for. I loved their dynamic, and I was brought to tears at several points with the two of them. Matilda was dealt a rough hand. She didn’t grow up with a loving mother or a father. Gods are ruthless, and they kill one another for power; love is seen as a weakness and not a strength. But Bade though? He cared about that little girl who had no one else. It just warmed my heart to see that.

If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this. The ending was so bittersweet, and that epilogue? It hurt me. But also I needed that, and I’m so happy to see how Rebecca tied everything together in the end.

4.5 ⭐️
What a beautiful love story. The author’s prose paints such a vivid picture of hope, betrayal, loss, and love. I had such high expectations from Rebecca Ross since the Letters of Enchantment duet holds such a special place in my heart, and she didn’t disappoint.

As this is a fantasy, there are quite a lot of elements that make up the world which is handled quickly and efficiently though I do think it is much easier to grasp if you have read the Letters of Enchantment duet.

The trials and tribulations of the MMC and FMC made what they had all the more important. All the more real.

It was fun to see some of the events and pieces for the Letters of Enchantment come together.

I will say there were a few questions regarding some characters that I would have liked to see settled. It kept me from feeling wholeheartedly satisfied.

Overall, I loved this story and can’t wait to see more from Rebecca Ross.

Absolutely beautiful prose.
Lyrical and evocative from the start- reading this felt like an indulgence. The world is immersive; it feels like history, even though it is also fantasy.

I was hooked from the acknowledgement:
"For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love”

Loved the epistolary moments.

Yearning, and melancholy in the most romantic of ways -an emotional journey. Reminiscent of some of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe, but with a hope and optimism all her own. Rebecca Ross is a must-buy author for me, and I look forward to rereading this with my book club when it is released.

I couldn't put it down and had to see how it ended! Don't skip the epilogue.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful story.

"This will break us both in the end... 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 you are gone."

Characters: 5⭐
Plot: 5⭐
Writing Style: 5⭐
Enjoyment: 5⭐
Overall rating: 5⭐

Reading Wild Reverence felt like an ethereal dream. The writing style was beautiful and they way the years flowed was seamless. Everything about this book was so engaging and lovely. This was definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

As someone who adored The Letters of Enchantment duology, I was really excited to read this prequel. It is a slow-build, beautifully written story focusing on a goddess, Matilda, and a mortal, Vincent. They develop a friendship as children, but great losses tear them away from each other for thirteen years. They meet again as adults, forever changed by their life experiences. Matilda and Vincent are both incredibly easy characters to root for. I appreciated the emotional depth between them as they learned to navigate each other, building a meaningful bond. Their tale is one of magic, fate, love, and heartbreak, and I loved every second of it.

Rebecca Ross did it again. I loved the Letters of Enchantment duology and the Elements of Cadence books. This one seems to be a prequel of the first duology. I love this book.

We have Vincent and Matilda. Matilda is a goddess. Vincent is a lord. Their paths become intertwined, and it is quite the journey.

I’ve been fortunate that some of the last few books I’ve read have been by authors I’ve loved who also know how to create a world. This is one I didn’t want to leave. I knew it was a solid four star book. But the ending pushed it to five. I’m so glad I got to read this early.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Unfortunately I couldn’t even make it to 10%, I was so bored. I enjoyed Divine Rivals but Ruthless Vows was a big NOPE for me, and this is even worse.

Bursting with lush prose that you can almost taste, Wild Reverence is a lavishly written story of a young goddess coming of age, straining against the cruel standards of her fellow immortals, and falling in a forbidden love with a human. This will be an absolute hit for many readers… but, sadly, I am not really that reader.

I already knew from Divine Rivals that Rebecca Ross’s prose manages to be beautifully descriptive without falling hard into being overly purple and nonsensical. The same is even more true here, and it’s easy to get swept away into the world. I was enchanted by our heroine’s journeys between the two immortal realms, and the slight dark twist to her role as a herald between the gods of the underworld, the gods of the heavens, and the mortal realm.

The worldbuilding being so charming to me was almost something of a double-edged sword, as I kept wanting more of it. I wanted to spend more time in the areas of the story that were written with great care but were not the primary focus.

Which brings me to the romance. Matilda and Vincent first meet as children when she finds herself transported into Vincent’s dreams. I thought I would be endeared by their naive little love story, but I found things were glossed over much too quickly in these first encounters between them. In both their scenes as children and after their reunion as adults, there is a build-up and tension missing. Their love for each other doesn’t end up ringing quite true, and the fact that their first romantic scenes as adults are under the guise of an act (it’s a fake marriage!) meant that their physical and emotional intimacy just didn’t quite do it for me.

On an intellectual level, I appreciate the manner in which Matilda’s love story is used to fill the hole inside of her left by an upbringing that allowed no room for affection, whether it be familial or romantic. In a way, this story almost feels like an exploration of generational trauma and the cycle of abuse, with the ways of the gods coming across as something cruel that Matilda tries to heal from, even though it leaves her vulnerable. Just as Bade fulfills his role as a father figure to Matilda when her real parents fail to, Vincent’s kindness smooths over the trauma wrought on her by her relationship with Warin. And yet, I found myself impatient in their scenes, eager to discover more about the immortal realms that Matilda walks and her developing powers as a herald instead. I was much more interested in her scenes with her fellow gods than those she had with any mortal, and wish that either the platonic elements of the story had been explored a bit more or the romance was given more time and fertile ground to grow.

Again, this all mostly boils down to personal preference. Many readers will have no issues with the glossing over of our protagonists’ early years, and they will find the fleeting encounters they have in Vincent’s dreams to be enough to build up their romance. I just wanted… more.

Also, Rebecca: how does Matilda’s skin have a “rosy flush” at one point when the blood of gods is golden????? PLEASE REBECCA I NEED TO KNOW.

A Fantasy I would read in the mists and wasteland! Rebeca has done it again. This book was fantastic. Rebecca Ross has a powerful talent for storytelling. In her latest work she unravels a tale involving Divine Gods that mythology vibes with a deep mortal/immortal love story in it. The story is about a unique goddess and her connection to a mortal. The story is poetic and weaves in vows, debts, trickery, battles, and longing….so much longing. I was captivated in all five parts. The character writing is on point, the world(s) building a delight, and the plot I was mesmerized by. I had deep heartache with the characters and was impressed with the various turn of events. Matilda and Vincent will live rent free in my heard and I will grow hearts in my eyes when I think of them. I enjoyed the side characters as well. I was humbled to see connections to her other duology—Letters of Enchantment. It makes me want to read those again! The Epilogue made me giddy —very foreshadowing.

I am so excited to see everyone’s reaction to this book. I really enjoyed it as well as her other works—Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for this ARC!

Rebecca Ross has confirmed why she is an insta-buy author for me. Just like Enchanted River and Divine Rivals, this book was a beautifully written journey that I am so happy to have been taken on!

Everything about this story hit for me. Lush world building, mythical gods/mortals dynamics, complex characters, and a beautiful love story. I really enjoyed that it was a goddess x mortal romance with a soft, yearning history that was developed throughout many years.

I especially enjoyed the characters in this book, several of which weren’t even the ‘main’ protagonists but had gripping backstories that were easy to root for.

Even though I loved Rebecca’s previous duologies, it’s been a long enough time between my reads of them where I went into it with a fresh set of eyes and not a bias towards her writing. I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I fell in love with this book! She is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.

Highly recommend! It was beautifully romantic, all-consuming, and very fun. Highly recommend!

You know that feeling of hugging a loved one after being apart for a long time? That’s exactly how this book felt to me.

Returning to the world of Divine Rivals through the eyes of a new goddess, (Matilda) just beginning to navigate divine politics and power was absolutely fascinating!!
Experiencing the human world through Vincent (who, by the way, is one of the sweetest MMCs I’ve ever read about, and I desperately need more like him) provided the perfect balance, and Watching the two of them grow up only deepened my connection to their story!!!

The action scenes were thrilling, the emotional moments left me in tears, and the romance made my heart skip in the best way. And, as always with Rebecca Ross the prose is beautifully lyrical from beginning to end.

Wild Reverence is a stunning return to a world I already adore, and it reminded me exactly why Ross’s storytelling always lingers long after the last page!!