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!

Well, this book is made of the good stuff. It was an easy 5-star for me. Consider me beyond honored to have even received a Rebecca Ross eARC as she is a must-read author for me.

To start, the world-building was both whimsical and badass. I loved the god/mortal component and the sheer ruthlessness of the gods being able to steal one another’s powers by murder. It added an edge to the plot for sure. The settings (wastelands, mortal realm, under realm, sky realm) were all vivid and well described. At no point did I feel lost, I was fully along for the ride with Matilda.

Also, a moment for the yearning! I am a Vincent and Matilda stan, and was on the edge of my seat as their (unlikely and tumultuous) love story unfolded. It wasn’t the sole focus of the plot and that was also a nice unique feature.

Overall, I’m basically just sad that it’s over now. My recommended reading order would likely be to read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows first just to get a little context, but really either way works! Just make sure you READ THEM! RIGHT NOW! DO IT!

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Rebecca Ross and St Martin’s Press!

4.5 stars

“But I think you know that the soul can be found in words, and words within the soul. The two reflect each other in the sky, do they not?”

No one can do yearning like Ross can. It was a bit slow to start to be sure, but eventually I grew to love these characters--and I don't even usually like Gods stories. We got a bonus fake marriage too! Outside our main love interest, I also really liked the relationship between Matilda and Bade. I thought the tie in to the other books was great end, it made me want to read them again.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

wild reverence was sooo good 🥹✨ i loved the slow burn, it was perfectly drawn out without dragging and made the payoff even sweeter. rebecca ross’s writing is just gorgeous, like every page feels so intentional and dreamy. and getting to learn more about the relationships between gods and mortals?? obsessed. it added so much depth to the story and kept me hooked start to finish. truly such a beautiful read.

3.75 🌟. I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of this book. I was completely in love with the Divine Rivals Dulogy. This story was written in a similar style of prose; sort of lyrical and very sweet. I don't think it would be as enjoyable to be read before the previous series, as many things were not explained in this book alone.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I loved the character arc of Matilda too. Despite that, something made this boom harder for me to get into. It was very slow reading for me; enjoyable, but slow. Definitely not a fast paced story, and some parts felt a little dragged out. I loved the prologue!

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone that wasn't ready to give up the world from Divine Rivals.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This was such an enchanting read. I loved journeying between realms as the story unfolded. The prose is lyrical and beautifully written. Although I haven’t read Divine Rivals or Ruthless Vows, which I suspect would have deepened my connection to the story, I still found this to be an enjoyable read.

This book was so good that I’m trying so hard to find the correct words to make sure everyone reads it. How do I convince you to read this book?

No spoilers but!

Incredible world building, amazing characters and the feeling that you’re actually watching an epic movie or a high fantasy TV show? Check.

Despite it being part of the Divine Rivals world, it stands perfectly as a standalone novel about two people, a mortal and a god, tossed around by the intricate weavings of Death and Fate.

If you’re a lover of the God Of War Games, of Greek/Norse mythology, of Dante’s inferno, you will definitely love this book.

Let me just say, I love romance, I’m a sucker for good romantic stories and romance is at the center of this book. I wasn’t entirely hooked by the romance between Mathilda and Vincent, especially because it’s lightly a love at first sight romance. But guess what? That didn’t matter, I didn’t care because their storylines were SO. GOOD. Their characters felt real, and pure, and determined throughout it all.

And oh my god, the side characters! I absolutely abhorred Warin, but he was such a good villain. And oh my gosh, I didn’t know I was going to get hit with Bade and Adria’s story either? That was a lovely surprised. This book just kept me guessing and guessing and all my guessings (except one) were wrong, which is fun for me. Enva too!!! Death and Fate and even the Gatekeeper! Ugh, beautiful!

Also Silent Disco by Jade is definitely Mathilda and Vincent.

Ugh, take me back to a time I didn’t know this book existed so I can re-read and bring back the joy I felt while reading!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Spoilers below!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adria being a Mortal Matriach and giving away invisible crowns and extra stars and magic that cannot be stolen was one of my favorite plot twist. I love her!!!

And Bade!!!! Bade!!!!!!! My god of war!!!!! When Mathilda called him father!!!!!!! Ugh!!!! And he called her daughter!!!!!!! Actually, wait I do have a complaint, I wish we had seen Bade and Mathilda one final time but I’m sure that had to do with the Skyward and Underlings war that started taking place. I love how she went down to the wasteland and saved him, and they walked together through all his nightmares. Honestly, Bade and Mathilda were my favorite part out of the whole book.

10/10!!!!!!!!!

It was a bit slow to get into and some parts didn’t feel entirely necessary, but once the story picked up I was completely hooked. I loved watching Matilda stay true to herself while growing fully into her own. I felt every emotion while reading, and I’m obsessed with Matilda and Vincent—plus Bade’s relationship with Matilda was everything.

Wow wow wow! This story was so beautiful and it was the most perfect prequel to the Divine Rivals duology. Rebecca’s writing is poetic perfection. I had a grand time reading this! Now I need to go reread Divine Rivals immediately and listen to some Hozier.

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross feels like a story from another time. It spans decades, travels through mortal and immortal realms as well as the afterlife. Ross' prose was lyrical, haunting and beautiful. I found myself rereading sentences in admiration of her writing.

In Wild Reverence we meet a young goddess, Matilda, who grows up in the realm below. She is a herald and considered a lesser god. She begins to visit the dreams of a young mortal boy her age who frequently has nightmares that Matilda helps him through. Matilda and Vincent then begin a journey of friendship and love unlike most books falling into a romantasy category. Ross weaves their tale over decades how circumstances bring them together and apart. This story is full of yearning and heartbreak I found myself unsure how they would end up until the last pages.

Wild Reverence serves as a prequel for divine rivals with a focus on the gods, I found this aspect to be interesting as the reader gets to expand on the world already familiar. My only critique for this story would be that towards the end I do think the story would have benefited from shortening at least 50-100 pages. But I cannot complain too much as being in Matildas world was magical regardless.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

Book: Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars!

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

I loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. Rebecca Ross excels at characterization and world-building. Wild Reverence takes place 600 years before the events in Divine Rivals and gives us a much more intimate view of the gods.

This is both a love story, and not. There is romance but, I would argue, much less romance than the Letters of Enchantment duology. This book read to me as a more plot/story-forward book rather than a relationship-forward book, and I think adjusting expectations around this may be important to the enjoyment of the book. This is much more Matilda’s story than it is Matilda and Vincent’s romance.

Matilda is a wonderful character to follow. We begin with her birth, watch her learn the world around her and the cut-throat nature of the gods she sees and cares for, and in time, her loss of innocence. She grows up and learns how to skillfully navigate a world where the gods may aid or slay you for their own gain.

Our love story kicks off with Vincent dreaming of Matilda when they were young. This sparks a friendship cursed by distance. I loved these chapters. The friends to lovers aspect of this story is wonderful, and a breath of fresh air in a genre where enemies to lovers is so prevalent (don’t get me wrong, I love a good enemies to lovers, but variety is the spice of life).

When comparing this to the Letters of Enchantment duology, the biggest difference is the scope. LoE follows two humans caught in a war waged by two gods. The gods are around, and known, and we do interact with them, but they still feel untouchable in many ways. Wild Reverence brings us to the hearth of our under and sky gods, making them fully-developed beings of power but also hubris. I loved learning about our different in this world, and the politicking they get themselves into in hopes of power and survival.

I adored this book! I do think it is being heavily marketed as a romance but it doesn’t have that much romance on-page, more a general romantic feel. I hope Rebecca Ross continues to write stories in this world and I am sure they will be just as enjoyable as Letters of Enchantment and Wild Reverence.

Rebecca's dedication may be my favorite of all: "For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love"

Imagine my delight when I got approved for the ARC for Wild Reverence, as I love the Letters of Enchantment duology.

While I was intrigued by the supporting gods and goddesses in the story, I wanted more scenes with Matilda, the herald of the gods, and Vincent, her mortal lover who is also a lord. Vincent dreams about Matilda, and when he finally meets her, he calls her “Red” because he does not know her name. Vincent's a true hopeless romantic endlessly waiting for Matilda's return. He is a man who mastered the art of yearning.

I love the dynamics between Matilda and Bade, the cold god of war, who trained Matilda and swore a salt oath to protect her. Bade is the only man who Matilda saw as a father figure, If Rebecca chooses to write more in this universe, I hope that it will be Bade and Adria's story, as I wanted more scenes with this unexpected couple. Bade and Matilda fiercely protect the ones they love.

The book's pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, and the ending was rushed. Even though it's 526 pages, the romance truly was a slow burn. There were a lot of battle scenes that could have been condensed in exchange for more romance. Even though Matilda may have been the most powerful goddess, it's truly a shame that the world forgot her because of who she fell in love with. Matilda and Vincent's happily ever after was quick and glossed over in the epilogue. As a reader, I wanted more scenes of the main couple together.

I LOVED this book. I knew that I would because I loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows both so much, but it is great to be right.
Wild Reverence is the latest book by Rebecca Ross, taking place in the same world as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, but you do not need to have read the other two books to enjoy this one. If anything this is a prequel that provides context to the conflict between Dacre and Enva while being a story that is not about Dacre or Enva at all. Instead, this is a story about Matilda, the herald of the gods, and a human man named Vincent.
As expected, the prose is beautiful and immersive. The romance is slow and sweet, and often takes a backseat to the story of Matilda trying to find her place in the world. I loved the way that this explores the relationships the gods have with each other, and also the way they relate to the mortals of the world. This book felt like reading mythology from a new pantheon for the first time in the best sense. My only complaint is that there isn’t more of it to be had. I want to know more about these gods and their adventures.

I have a confusing relationship with Rebecca Ross books; I love the premise, the execution is arguably good, but they don't always land, and I am left feeling like I was perhaps a bit older than the target audience. For me, Wild Reverence felt more in line with what I was looking for, and slightly less 'young' than Divine Rivals or Dreams Lie Beneath. I won't lie. I didn't realize this was a prequel to Divine Rivals, and set in the same world. And it's honestly probably a good thing, because Divine Rivals didn't hit for me. But in this case, I was intrigued right from the first chapter about Matilda, her story, her lineage - the backstory was well crafted, and I appreciated the glimpses into other gods, goddesses and realms. There was chemistry with Matilda and Vincent that was palpable, but it did feel a bit choppy in how we got there, and it didn't feel like we really got an enemies to lovers arc the way I would have wanted. I did like the writing, the prose, and the world building, but there were also some flat pieces for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this arc!

Wow—this book was absolutely phenomenal. Matilda was an incredible female main character, and I loved how she carried herself through everything happening both to her and around her. Her strength, resilience, and determination made her a character I rooted for from start to finish. Her background as the product of a forbidden love added depth and intrigue, especially with the mysterious omission in her horoscope that kicked off the story. There were so many moving parts to this story, and I was engrossed in the layers woven throughout. The court hierarchy was fascinating, especially the way constellations were tied to power—more stars meant more strength. I found the concept of borrowing and stealing powers between characters compelling and added a unique twist to the relationships. Of all the realms, the Wasteland was my favorite. The Gatekeeper was such a memorable character, and the atmosphere there was hauntingly beautiful. As for Matilda and Vincent’s love story—it’s easily one of my favorites in recent memory. Their reunion was written with such care and emotion; it truly did their journey justice. Getting a glimpse into this world was an absolute thrill, and I especially loved how the ending scene looped everything back around. It was a satisfying, poetic close to an unforgettable tale.

First of all, I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, Saturday Books and the author Rebecca Ross for this opportunity of reviewing an e-arc.

This was a highly anticipated release for me and I am so excited to give my honest thoughts.

I enjoyed the story telling so much, it is poetic and pulls you in. The mesmerizing world-building is done so seamlessly - gods being at war, stealing magic from each other was something I did not know I needed but ended up loving it.

There were moments in this book that I was holding my breath, it was intense, emotional and I was completely invested. I felt close to all the characters that were helping Matilda. And the slowburn!!! Vincent and Matilda's love is like no other.

Thank you so much to Saturday Books for the gifted copy!

“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.”

Even though this book is a prequel set six hundred years before Divine Rivals, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. If you would like to lose yourself in epic mythological drama, an unparalleled level of yearning, and the most appealing and admirable FMC, this is your story.

Matilda is the youngest goddess born to her Underling Clan, unknown to her Skyward father. She is destined to become a herald, carrying messages and proclamations between realms. In a world where gods frequently kill each other to steal power, Matilda must guard her secrets and gain allies to survive. To complicate matters, Matilda has a fated connection with a mortal boy, Vincent, who dreams of her despite never having seen her during waking hours.

The love story between Matilda and Vincent had me in a chokehold! His utter obsession with her, even knowing only a fraction of her dramatic life and sacrifices, his willingness for any sort of relationship she could offer him, ahhhhh! Both of them as characters were so appealing, especially Matilda’s absolute loyalty and courage for those she loved. The passages when she was off battling her way through unbelievable challenges, unknown to Vincent or others had me rooting for her so hard. I also loved her relationship with Bade, the God of War, who became such a loyal father figure to her.

The audio book narration is wonderful, with gorgeous voices making the story so captivating; I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I wanted to love this book soooo badly. I really, really tried. I loved Divine Rivals and this book had a lot of good in it. The prose was beautiful, the world building was unique but not impossible to understand. I really enjoy the magic system in this series and how it connects to constellations. I think the gods/goddesses are similar enough to familiar mythology to be relevant but different enough to be unique.

I think where this book suffers is the author put too much focus on the lyrical, flowy writing and forgot to advance the plot. It started out really good, with enough political intrigue and action to hook you. Then just...nothing happens.

I didn't like the romance between Vincent and Matilda. I kept feeling like Matilda would flip flop between being mature and independent to being a child. I honestly knew I was cooked when I wanted the romance to be between Matilda and Warin rather than Matilda and Vincent. Vincent was a bit bland. We get it, your uncle betrayed you. I just didn't feel what he felt, it felt like Matilda was just telling us how she guessed he felt. I might go back and finish the entire book, but we will see.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a free arc in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, that ending had me crying, and my jaw was on the floor. Going into this book I knew it took place in the Divine Rivals world but I wasn't aware that it was actually considered as a prequel (this is my fault entirely). Thankfully, Wild Reverence stands perfectly fine on its own and in my opinion you do not need any knowledge about the rest of the series to understand it. I loved quite a few things about this book: the characters, the world building, the plot, and so on. I really enjoyed learning about all the Gods and found their worlds and dynamics quite fascinating. Matilda and the God of war were my two favourite characters and I loved their relationship with each other, especially watching how it changes throughout the book. The only reason why I did not give this book five stars is becasue I found the book was a bit long and the first 1/3 was a little slow. Even though I did find it a bit slow at the start I still was invested and found it hard to put the book down. I was excited to read Divine Rivals before reading Wild Revernce but now that I have finished, I have a much stronger urge to read it and soon. Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

Wild Reverence was the most epic goddess x mortal love story I’ve ever read!!! It was utterly devastating—in the most magical and romantic way possible. Ross is a master at lyrical prose and worldbuilding. In The Letters of Enchantment duology, I really yearned for more lore on the gods, but that’s exactly what she delivered in this book. Rating: ♾️ ⭐️!!!!