Rebecca Ross is a must-read every time. This book was nothing different - the incredible story telling, the way her magic system is just seamlessly sewn-in to the characters and the world, and making characters who you don't know everything about up front, but DAMN you want to learn. I cried at the end, but mostly because I was sad it was over. I could have stayed in this world, with these characters, for a long time. I also loved how it tied back to other folks in this world we may have met in the Divine Rivals series. I highly highly recommend.

Divine Rivals is one of my favorite duologies ever so I was so excited to receive an ARC of Wild Reverence set in the same world.

Wild Reverence tells the story of a young goddess, Matilda, who is still learning of her true magical potential, and Vincent, her mortal love, who dreams about her before even meeting her. With the help and betrayal, of a long, long list of gods, Matilda learns who she truly is and fights for her life and her love.

This book has it all- beautiful prose, powerful gods, constellation lore, magic doors, battles, and romance and so so much heartache.

Also, without a doubt, Bade is the BEST character, he needs his own book please.

I ate it up. At a hefty 544 pages, this book so was captivating, I wish it was longer!

And then the best part of the whole book was how it was all beautifully connected to the Divine Rivals series throughout the story and then that Epilogue. 😍

My heart loved this book so much, all the stars for another perfect Rebecca Ross book. I can not recommend this book enough to anyone who loves Ross’s previous books or who enjoys god/mortal romances.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Rebecca Ross, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my
honest review. This book publishes September 2nd!

Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows were some of my favorite reads when they came out, so I was stoked that we would be getting a book in that world with Wild Reverence. It was truly a wonder to behold. This story is filled with depth, longing, growth, and an in depth loook at the Gods that haunt the lviing world in Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows.

Matilda is a child among Gods, eager to soak up all the information she can about the world around her, one day she shows up in a mortal boy's dreams and their paths remain intertwinted through bloodshet, death, and different realms. This story is beautiful in its storytelling and how it weaves everything together. I loved watching Maltida grow into who she becomes and watch Vincent come into his own and find his own dreams.

Matilda is the herald of the Gods and she sends messages across the three domains of this world, one night, death gives her a missive that lands her back in the world of the mortals among the boy who used to dream of her. He is all grown up and at risk of meeting his end, only now its up to Matilda to work with him to save not only him but his people.

This is a beautiful story and I can't put into words how much I loved it. If you loved Divine Rivals or Ruthless Vows, its a must read, it adds such a rich depth to those stories. I really want to reread them now. I highly recommend this!! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.</i>

2.5**

no one is more upset by this rating than i am. divine rivals is, truly, one of my favorite books of all time. unfortunately, i did not click with this book at all.

what i liked:

- the writing. rebecca ross always has such beautiful prose and truly has a way of transporting her readers into her magical, fantastical worlds.

- the epilogue. though some aspects of this felt out of place, i greatly enjoyed the nods/easter eggs to the letters of enchantment duology.

what i disliked:

- the romance. while the romantic plot did have a lot of potential (& i had high hopes during the beginning), it fell flat. the romance felt very rushed and almost insta-lovey to me. i feel like there was not enough time for the tension, angst, and yearning to really develop. it felt very tell instead of show. the romance was a very small portion of the plot and was honestly underdeveloped.

- the world building. it felt inconsistent? sometimes the gods were described as being all powerful with no care for mortals, and then a few pages later they were entirely dependent on mortals/humans. this did not feel intentional - it just felt like the worldbuilding/gods/powers were only prevalent and used when it furthered the plot or when they impacted matilda in some way.

- the pacing. the pacing of this book felt…. very odd? some portions utterly dragged while others seemed to fly by. the first 80% of the book seemed to be so drawn out, while the last 20% felt rushed. i think this truly would have benefited from being split into two volumes instead of just one.

overall, i know this book will be highly rated for many of my friends & mutuals - and i can absolutely see why! i, personally, did not click with this book but i understand how it will resonate with the correct audience.

Rebecca Ross's writing is absolutely stunning in Wild Reverence and this book did not disappoint!

I was a huge fan of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, so when I heard there was going to be a prequel I knew I had to read it! The story telling was fun and whimsical. Getting to learn even more about the gods and different realms was captivating. There was heartbreak and love throughout the story that leaves you wanting more after each chapter. Also, the last few chapters really setting up the scene for the story that unfolds in the original duology was perfection!

Overall, this book did not disappoint and I highly recommend it to everyone who read Divine Rivals & Ruthless Vows. Especially to those who wished we had learned more about the gods in the original duology!


Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Saturday Books for the advanced copy of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.

The prose of Rebecca Ross always gets me. This was so beautiful, even if there were some flaws in the story.

I loved Vincent and Mathilda’s story. “We only touched on fleeting moments.” I would have loved to see more of their love. So much happens to them independently that we don’t get enough time with them together. I craved more yearning, more subtle moments of love.

I was glad to be back with the gods of Divine Rivals. I’m a sucker for intertwined stories, and it honestly made me want to reread the series. The political aspect of the gods was explained more here, but I still wanted more depth.

Overall, I loved the book. I just would have loved more of everything. That would have made it a 5⭐️ read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

“We were doomed, she and I. One day, I would perish, and she would live on, endless as the stars. But if we were doomed, then let us fully embrace it.”

The Letters of Enchantment series by @beccajross are my favourite books of all time. Everything about them is perfect to me - the characters, the love story, the beautiful lyrical writing (and those two scenes that live rent free in my head). I loved Iris and Roman’s story, but wanted to know more about the gods and their mythos. Well, Rebecca Ross delivered, and created another masterpiece; this time centred around the gods.

We follow Matilda, a young goddess and herald to the gods. She is the only one who can cross through the realms, carrying words and messages for gods and mortals. Born in a brutal world, where gods kill to steal each other’s power, Matilda must guard a secret to ensure her survival. Part Underling and part Skyward, she struggles to find her rightful place, until she meets a boy in his dreams.

Wild Reverence is a beautiful story about love, secrets, betrayal, and sacrifice. I knew a love story between a mortal man and a goddess would break my heart. But I loved every second of it, and it was the missing piece to this enchanting series.

Without giving anything away, the epilogue was the perfect ending and bridge to Divine Rivals (so, now I obviously need to do a reread).

Thank you so so much to St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel ahead of its release. And thank you to Rebecca Ross for your beautiful writing and for this stunning and compelling story. This is one of my favorite reads of 2025, and it was one of my most anticipated as well! I have been a fan of Rebecca Ross since I stumbled upon Divine Rivals years ago, and had always wanted to know more about Matilda since seeing her name in that book. With that being said, this book is set in the world of Divine Rivals, but is set before that story begins and centers around the goddess Matilda, herald to the realms. In her classically beautiful way, Ross describes the relationships that Matilda comes to have with the Skywards and Underlings and shows us the story of a young god-child coming into her own and finding herself, while also enduring the betrayals and hardships that come along with life as an immortal. The book describes Matilda discovering power within herself she never knew she possessed and learning to love and defend mortals that she had once been taught to distrust and avoid. It. also details Matilda discovering who her real allies are amongst conniving, calculating, and sometimes horrible immortal gods. This novel shows readers that love can be found in the most unlikely of places, and that family is not always dictated by blood. As a fan of romantasy until I die, I absolutely adored reading about the relationship that develops between Matilda and Vincent. I remember wanting to hear more of this than was described in Divine Rivals, but I am so glad that this relationship was given its own novel. I was always on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would come next for Matilda and Vincent alike, and rooting for these two and their love every step of the way. I am really so grateful to have been able to read this work of art, and cannot thank everyone who allowed that to happen enough!

Incredible!! I love Rebecca Ross’s writing. She weaves a tale in the most beautiful way possible. I will be thinking of Vincent and Matilda for a long time!!! I also really enjoyed the insight into the world of the gods. It was an amazing book. Truly one of the most beautiful I have ever read!!! Thank you for the chance to read it early! I squealed in my teacher in service meetings when I got them email that I was approved for an advanced copy!!!

This book was an incredible journey—rich with wonder, passion, and desire. The author's writing was vivid and immersive, painting scenes so vividly that the story felt alive on the page. Every sentence carried a weight of emotion and beauty that pulled me deeper into the world with each turn.
The plot was complex, layered with characters and events that made me wish I had a physical copy just to underline passages and jot down thoughts in the margins. It’s the kind of story that begs for reflection, re-reading, and slow savoring.
One thing I found myself longing for was a prequel—something to explore the different realms and introduce the characters before this story began. The world-building was fascinating, especially the way the author wove together realms of gods and mortals. That blend added depth and magic to the narrative in a way that felt both fresh and timeless.

Rebecca Ross is the queen of perfectly illustrating pining and longing through the written word. If you've ever been a quiet force that can't be broken but yet you're someone everyone overlooks, then you will relate to Matilda immediately. She is a soft and hard FMC with everything good in between.

While it was a slow beginning at first, Wild Reverence will have you rooting for the underdog love story that most people dream of having. The story will quickly have you shedding tears over a beautiful love story between gods, goddesses, and mortals. But it's not just a love story - it's a story of redemption, power, belonging, revenge, and self-truth.

While Wild Reverence follows the story of Matilda, it also introduces familiar names of gods and goddess from Divine Rivals. By the end of the story everything comes full circle and left me REELING for the next story to unfold.

Due to the world building, it did take me about 30% in to really start devouring the story. But I promise, the world building is worth it if you continue to push through and focus on the plot. Because YES!!!!!! It is beautifully written, uniquely imagined, and absolutely swoon worth with a few dashes of spice mixed throughout.

I had to remind myself while reading, that Divine Rivals was modernized like we live today. Wild Reverence's story feels like a legendary story written on old enchanted parchment paper. Be patient in the world building, move with the words, and let yourself get lost in an old story of love that never dies.

Beautifully written as expected from the astounding author. It hit every emotion for me. The idea of an immortal loving a mortal, especially during a time where, at any turn, her magic could be taken. I've been looking forward to this book since it was announced and it did not disappoint. Secrets, love, betrayal and sacrifice, it was all wrapped in a bow with a conclusion and epilogue that was, in my opinion, perfect.

thank you forever to rebecca ross and her team for an ARC copy of this book through netgalley!!

i’m going to be so honest, i was so excited for this book when it was announced but was so nervous because i’ve loved everything else i’ve read from rebecca ross…

this did not disappoint, the magic system and godly/court dynamics we got a teaser of in the divine rivals duo was expanded on so well and throughly and beautifully written about

seeing how matilda handled everything that was thrown at her from literal birth was amazing to read about and experience with her, she’s such a strong lead but was so kind and clever and sassy at times i loved it all

and vincent, i just wanted to hug him this entire book he’d been through so much and was genuinely not like other male leads i’ve read out, he was grumpy and wanted nothing to do with anything and just wanted to be with matilda and was such a yearner i ate it up but still respected him obvi

overall pls pls pls read this book there’s mystery, court intrigue, love, betrayal, magic, amazing settings all wrapped with the detail and elegance of rebecca ross’ prose

Rebecca Ross is always a complete auto read author for me. Her way with words moves me like no other book does and Wild Reverence lived up to that and more. The world and universe she's continuing to build has me grasping for me and trying to connect everything together.

As a lover of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows - this book had big shoes to fill. And WOW did it fill them.
I loved being able to explore more of that magical world and learning more of the different gods and goddesses. The vivid imagery that Ross uses just transports you to the scene.
And the YEARNING. Please, I need another. I need a book about Bade and Adria’s story. A book about Nathaniel. Honestly just I need Rebecca to keep writing in this world because I never want to leave.

Matilde makes the perfect FMC set against the back drop of the underling world, a half underling half skyward she is simply Matilde. Alone. Herself. Unique. the only divine that is of both the underling and skyward - no clan to truly call her own. Named by the God of War, Bade, who was present at her birth and now salt vowed with him she must learn to navigate her own unique life. Learn who her allies are and what her purpose is. And, above all else guard her weakest point - her heart, one that feels for the mortal world and divine world alike.

Ross has once again woven a intricate, lush story that captivates with rich world building, beautiful writing and touching characters! I love being back in the world of Divine Rivals only to be on the divine side of the conflict instead of the mortal. This story catches the true nature of the gods and their very human tendencies. Early on her mother tells her that power is craved, to be remembered is the utmost achievement - but is that what Matilde really wants or does she long for me, different, something.......else entirely.

I absolutely fell in love with Matilde! But Bade was also such an interesting character and the depth of emotion that Ross bleeds into each of her characters will have readers falling into the pages of this story and struggling to come up for a breath in the real world. It certainly kept me up later than I needed to be up reading, and found me sneaking pages between the mundane tasks of daily life for just a breath of the fantastical and sweetly romantic world of Divine Rivals.

Beautifully written.

Wild Reverence is an absolutely beautiful and heartening story set in the same world as Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows.

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

Matilda is a goddess who struggles to find her place. Born of both realms, she is not wholly Underling or Skyward, but holds the magic of both realms. The goddess of dreams shares with her dreams of mortals, and she finds that a young mortal boy her own age has been dreaming about her. Vincent feels like he has known this mysterious girl from his dreams his entire life. But when the gods don't answer his prayers, he begins to lose his faith in them. One day, many years later, Matilda arrives through Vincent's window with a letter that could change both their fates forever.

I ADORED this book! Matilda and Vincent are so lovely, and their story is beautiful and heartbreaking and lovely. It is a story about loss, and love, and holding on to hope when it feels impossible. Matilda is a goddess and she struggles to open up, because making oneself vulnerable is a risk. Vincent is a lord who never wanted this role, but he cares for his people and his lands and wants to see them thrive. They are an unlikely pair, but their intertwined fates are such a beautiful and emotional tale. There are some familiar faces as well, we learn more about the gods, including Dacre and Enva, and there are lots of little connections to the Letters of Enchantment series as well. I love Rebecca Ross's writing as well, her prose is beautifully written and captivating. This is definitely a favorite read of mine.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Saturday Books for the advanced copy of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.

it takes me a little bit to get into fantasy and i will say this one is definitely harder than divine rivals. i may need to pause this and return later

What a book! A bit slow in the beginning but definitely picked up the pace towards the middle of the book.

The characters have a LOT of depth & the writing in this is FLAWLESS. The writing is so immersive I truly felt transported into this magical world.

This is a great prequel and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martins Press for this eARC!

Not even 1/4 of the way through Wild Reverence and I was completely enamoured. Rebecca's writing has always connected with me, but reading this with its stunning prose, I was moved so emotionally early on, I knew this was going to be one of those stories that stays with you. And, Wild Reverence is that story that will linger with you after you close its pages because its so hauntingly beautiful.

Rebecca's lyrical prose captivated me deeply and lured me in to Matilda and Vincent's story. Told across years, we see a unique friendship form in the most unexpected of places between the two unexpected people--a Goddess from Underling and a mortal. With such a brilliant narrative structure Rebecca has skillfully crafted Wild Reverence in a way that forces us to connect with Matilda and Vincent. And, as we see the buds of their friendship begin to blossom, they're viciously ripped apart.

That strong sense of yearning and thread that ties people together, fate, never fades, and this is even more powerful between Matilda and Vincent. Their connection is one so deep it reaches their souls.

This story, their story has me completely overwhelmed because I loved it so much. I connected with Matilda and Vincent and their struggles so profoundly, but Rebecca has crafted her other supporting characters just as vividly that it's impossible not to care for them too. And I think that speaks volumes to the sheet skill she has with her craft.

I loved this so much, and I can't wait to read it again soon.