Let me say, this was a very slow start. It’s beautifully written and so descriptive and atmospheric but also a longer book and so it feels very long.

But I also loved it. Once I got going, I felt this growing ache for Matilda and Vincent and all of their loved ones. By the end my heart felt sufficiently wrecked. This is one of those books that settles in your soul. It weaves it way into your heart page after page.

I felt so sad when it ended. Rebeca Ross has an incredible way of weaving her soul into her writing.

Pub Date: Sept 2

Thank you @saturdaybooks for the most anticipated earc 🤍 I am very excited for my preorder to come!

I went into this book never having read Divine Rivals and not knowing a thing about the world Rebecca Ross has created. I was instantly captured by the writing, hooked within the first few pages, and fascinated by the stories of Matilda, Vincent, Bade and the other gods, goddesses and mortals in this story.

Throughout the book I was moved to tears, filled with tension and suspense, felt the love between the characters both mortal and godly, and finally filled with calm knowing that the constellations came together and what was meant to be came to be.

This was my first book by Rebecca Ross but it will not be my last. This book stands alone and yet leaves you wanting for more from the author. The Divine Rivals duology is moving to the top of my list because I’m not ready to leave this world.

I give this book all the stars in the world and may they always shine brightly.

Also the cover is STUNNING, the hardcover is going to be gorgeous and I’m going to need a trophy copy for my shelf!

Thank you to the author Rebecca Ross, @netgalley and @saturdaybooks for an advance reader copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE. I’m already a big fan of Rebecca Ross but reading this book was like reading a story that your grandmother might tell you about gods and mortals but seeing it play out in real time. The writing was classical and every word intentional. The epilogues tie in to some of her other books was such an added bonus that tied the whole book together.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Saturday Books, and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy! You can pick up Wild Reverence on September 2, 2025.

You guys... this is one of the best books I've ever read and is def a favorite of the year. I was absolutely enraptured by Rebecca Ross's prose, world-building, magic system, and heartbreaking characters. The relationships in this story are what drive it forward, though I was also sucked in by the turmoil between gods and mortals.

Wild Reverence follows Matilda, a goddess of both Underling and Skyward, and a herald to the realms. Though her power seems humble at first, she's more than what meets the eye, and the relationships she cultivates give her even more strength as the story progresses. One such relationship is with Vincent, a mortal boy who dreams of Matilda and grows close to her in childhood. When the two meet again as adults, old feelings are rekindled, and we learn what people and gods alike are willing to sacrifice for love.

The EMOTIONS in this book, y'all. I was constantly on the verge of tears or giggling and kicking my feet. This book just OOZES romance and enchantment (much like in Divine Rivals), but Rebecca Ross's prose is even MORE gorgeous this time around. I don't want to give any spoilers for the plot, because this is a book best gone into blind, but I truly did not see some twists coming, and the stakes felt high all the way through (both from a plot and emotional standpoint).

Part of what elevated the stakes was the depth of the relationships Matilda had with multiple characters. I wasn't just attached to her and Vincent, but also the other gods and mortals she befriended. Some of these character interactions had me screaming, crying, and repeating "WHAT" and "NO" repeatedly. This is a book that aches in the best way!!

I would honestly recommend Wild Reverence to any and all fantasy romance readers. This is a book full of pining, overcoming the odds, battling fellow gods and mortals, accepting your strengths, and more. Y'all better pick it up asap on September 2 so I can scream with you over it!!

Thank you NetGalley for a free Arc!!! This book is giving everything the slow burn to my heart being on edge. I love how this book allows to read what happened before divine rivals, or at least give a glance to some mentionable characters. This story had me angry at points for what “Red” goes through and her love for mortals. I anticipate this being one of my favorite reads of 2025! The yearning between Matilda and Vince is heartbreaking and the letters to each other had me gripping my kindle.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥 (mildly descriptive open door scenes)

Quick Notes:
*Prequel
*Gods
*Magic
*Souls
*Dreams

My Thoughts:
In all honesty, I went back and forth a lot on my rating for this one. I liked it, but I have some thoughts. The last 20% solidified my four star rating.
First, let me say that I don't consider this to be a romance. I'd say it's mainly a fantasy with a side of romance. I definitely liked the relationship between Matilda and Vincent, but there was so much going on that overshadowed this plot line.
The real focus was on Matilda's upbringing, her relationships with other gods, and the development of her powers. There was a TON of world building going on. It was interesting, but it felt long. My favorite part of Matilda's story was actually her relationship with Bade. I loved the moments they shared and the love and respect they had for each other.
So, yes. this was interesting. The writing was good. Was it as good as Divine Rivals? For me, no. I think this reminded me more of A River Enchanted, and I preferred Divine Rivals to that one. But it was still worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley and Saturday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 ⭐️
1 🌶️
eARC
Themes/Tropes: Gods x Mortals, fated meetings, found family, strong FMC with strong and soft MMC, fake marriage, slow burn, epic fantasy with mythological undertones

Firstly, a BIG thank you to NetGalley, Saturday Books, and Rebecca Ross for the eARC of Wild Reverence. Rebecca Ross is one of those authors, where if she writes it… I’m going to read it and likely more than once. Divine Rivals was my all time favorite book in 2023 and I’ve read it more times than I can count, so when a prequel to the Letters of Enchantment was announced, I was over the moon.

This story is just as atmospheric as all of Rebecca’s stories and the characters endear themselves to your heart the way only Rebecca Ross can make them. If you loved Roman and Iris, then you will love the couple that, in a VERY roundabout way, paved the way for them… Vincent and Matilda. In the Letters of Enchantment duology, we spend most our time with the mortals and get a touch of the godly. Wild Reverence is the antithesis. We spend a great deal of time with the divine and a pinch of the mortal perspective. Some familiar characters come back in supporting roles in this, like Dacre and Enva, but they’re not a major player in this story as in the Letters of Enchantment books.

Wild Reverence often reminded me of Circe by Madeline Miller, mixed with the Peaches & Honey duology by R. Raeta. Matilda is the first FMC in a long while that I just really enjoyed. She wasn’t vapid or more powerful than everyone else in the book. She was strong, but cunning and had an incredible heart for those she loved, like Bane, but especially for Vincent. And Vincent’s steadfast love and unwavering belief in Matilda was a privilege to follow.

Definitely an incredible read. Highly recommend for fans of Ross and the world of Divine Rivals.

Born straddling two courts, and never fully belonging to either - this is how the goddess Matilda enters the world. Her childhood is a series of ally meetings and court gossip. She can trust no one, must constantly be on her guard, as many gods and goddesses would not hesitate to slay a child for her constellation. Her only comfort is stolen moments of recorded dreams her mother’s friend secrets her of a mortal boy Vincent and her surprising appearance within them. Though their paths cross as children in the mortal world, it is several years later when Matilda finds herself back in Vincent’s irreverent life- and Vincent, having long since given up on unanswered prayers, wary of her reappearance.

I absolutely adore this fantasy realm. Rebecca Ross never fails to weave such an entrancing world with wonderfully flawed characters. We can’t help but fall in love and in hate and in every other spectrum of emotion as we travel through Matilda’s childhood and adulthood alongside her. Ross left me glued to my chair waiting to see how this beautifully tragic story would unfold. I may have even squealed a little at the Easter egg she planted connecting this novel to the realm of Divine Rivals. If you loved that duology, run now and start this novel.

Recommended if you like: fantasy, gods and goddesses, interconnected series

Ugh, where do I even begin with this one? I have absolutely adored every book that I have read by Rebecca so far. Letters of Enchantment is one of my favorite duologies. The fact that this book was based in the same world had me giddy. It’s almost like a prequel to Divine Rivals, but we get to see the god's story. I hope we can get more of this world in the future. I love it and will read it the second I get a chance.

I’m not going to lie, this story broke my heart at the end there a few times. I really love Rebecca’s writing style/ storytelling. She can put together a captivating one.

Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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

“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.”

4.5 stars

Wild Reverence is a prequel to Rebecca Ross’s Letters of Enchantment duology. What this book explores is the mythology and lore behind the gods and goddess that we saw little of in the other series. Her other duology was more romance leaning than fantasy whereas this book feels like it’s truly 50/50. As someone who loved Greek mythology growing up, I was obsessed with the magic system and how cruel and devious the gods were written. So fascinating and a perfect setting. I will say the first 25% is more worldbuilding, but I had no trouble following.

Ross’s strong point in her romances is always going to be her prose. She writes in a very lyrical way that speaks to your soul and just makes you want to highlight literally EVERYTHING. It’s always a beautiful experience. However, with Wild Reverence, I struggled with buying into Matilda and Vincent’s relationship in the first 50% of the book. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy their scenes, but their romance is heavily built on the history they had as children, meeting through Vincent’s dream. That history we don’t always see, maybe 1-2 meetings, but the rest is kind of told to you and so I struggled to feel that initial emotional impact and that’s why it is not a 5 star for me.

Though, In the second half, I was sucked in. The pacing got better and I started to become obsessed with them (and their delicious angst - goddess x mortal, star-crossed lovers). PLUS YEARNING DONE RIGHT! I loved Matilda as an FMC, that is my touch-starved lover girl! All of the characters had some aspect to them which made me relate to their story. This book also had really great side characters and I loved the individual relationships they had with Matilda. Everyone needs to meet Bade, he is quite literally everything to me. Overall, this book was amazing! I can always count on a Rebecca Ross book to get me out of a funk.

I don't know where to start with this review. The first thing I can think of to say is that this was extremely freaking boring. I genuinely have no words to describe just HOW boring this was. I can appreciate a nice slow burn fantasy, and by slow burn I don't mean the romance--we will get to that--but a slow burn in terms of when we first meet Matilda, she is 12. She remains 12/13 up until like 30% through the book? And then she is 25 for pretty much the last half. However, the actual plot that decorates the book is hollow at best. The war, Vincent's uncle, all of it... felt empty. I felt wholly unconvinced of any of the conflict in this book. None of the issues that arose made me feel threatened or worried for what would come next. It was so juvenile and repetitive. There was nothing really original that kept me interested either. The romance was nonexistent.

Another spot on my favorite book shelf now goes to Rebecca with Wild Reverence!

I adored Divine Rivals and was a little apprehensive about returning to that world, I was wrong. This book contained beautiful/lyrical prose and a story that made me cry multiple times. It did have some back story for the Divine Rivals books but it feels complete on its own.

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s, NetGalley, and Rebecca for allowing me the chance to read this ARC!

As a massive Rebecca Ross fan I was absolutely thrilled to receive this e-arc to review. If you have read and enjoyed any of her other books, this is a must read. The story follows Matilda, a young goddess, and Vincent, a human boy she meets in his dreams. Though they are tied to the same universe as Divine Rivals/ Ruthless Vows -this is more of a fairytale/fantasy world, and not set in the same time period/ environment as the first duology. I love the flow of the prose, and the emotional payoff was absolutely worth it. BIG FEELINGS.
Thank you St Martin Press for the arc, I have already pre-ordered multiple copies of this book to add to my Ross Devotional Bookshelf!

𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 5/5 ⭐️
𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮 1/5🌶️

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross is a prequel to the Letters of Enchantment series. Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, but in a land where gods often kill each other to steal their power Matilda must come of age sooner. Vincent a mere mortal boy who has been dreaming of Matilda calls to her on the worst night of his life. When his prayers go unanswered he moves on and ten years later he has long forgotten her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book! Publishing 9/2/2025!

Absolutely enchanting! Magical! Beautifully written! I have not read the Letters of Enchantment series yet but my gosh am I going to dive right into it after this one.

The love story between Vincent and Matilda is so wholesome in a world where there is war, death, and betrayal. Their romance spans not only years but worlds. Watching them grow up, change, and continue to find their way to each other is seriously intense.

The world is really well done and the magic was definitely unique. This was slow paced but it really worked with the story. I didn’t want it to end. I love Vincent and Matilda so much.

I loved how it sets it up for the first book in the series and it gives you some background on some of the magical items in that series. I would say you could read this before or after Divine Rivals.

Review: 4.25/5

I came into this book ignorant to the fact that the gods in this story are the same as those we get a glimpse of in Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. I could tell early one that it was going to be connected to the typewriters though.

I enjoyed this read more than the above mentioned two. Ross took her time to flesh out these familiar magical realms, showing us that no matter if its immortal gods or mortals, a strong motivator is power and power corrupts. She really spent time with letting readers get to know the two main narrators.

We get to grow with Matilda from birth, where her abilities are revealed, through her adulthood, where she finds her purpose between the Underling and Skyward gods. Her journey is unique to these etherial beings, as her parents are from the rival realms. Furthermore, Matilda and all gods have to watch their backs, for if their peers discovers their fault lines and strikes, they can absorb the victim's abilities, adding more stars to their constellation and more importantly, power. We soon see that part of Matilda's unique abilities is that she can travel between realms, from her childhood home with the Underlings and time spent with mortals and Skyward realm.

Out of all the ethereal fascinations, Matilda gets reeled in by one mortal's dreams. That is where Vincent comes in, a mortal born into nobility, where political tension and power grabs can is just as alive. Matilda and Vincent's relationship is tender, raw, and passionate, evolving organically with every ebb and flow each faced. You could feel their pain, desperation, and yearning with Ross' writing.

I thought the pacing was inconsistent, spending enough time in some areas for both characters but. On the other hand, Ross's writing is able to emulate the unrest and instability that Matilda experiences with her role amongst the gods and mortals. Some choices felt like too convenient and not fleshed out enough for me to really get what she was trying to get across. Specifically, I felt this with some of the plot points that occur to Bade and Matilda in the latter half.

This book is so beautifully written. It was a slow start for me but once I was in it, I WAS IN IT. I didn't want to put it down. Just like with Divine Rivals I didn't want to leave the world when it was over.

Matilda's journey was so emotional. I loved learning more about the gods and getting to expeirence Enva a tiny bit. The relationship between Bade and Matilda was so impactful, I loved watching that stony man soften up after Adria. And speaking of Adria, what I wouldn't give to read how that all unfolded from Bad and Adria's POV.

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time. It was just so bittersweet.

4.5⭐ rounded up
Spice level:🌶️.5/5
Matilda, daughter of an Underling goddess and Skyward god, is born and raised in the world below, Dacre's realm. Alva shares dream scrolls with her and she comes to know of Vincent, a young boy in the mortal world dreaming of her. They meet a few times, but when Matilda's mother is murdered and she seeks refuge Skyward, Vincent eventually stops trying to reach her only for them to reconnect unexpectedly over a decade later.

This is such a lovely read. What you can expect is building out the world of gods from Divine Rivals. The world is so much bigger and Rebecca has so much room to journey and play. I think I might prefer this over the duology. The book feels long and that's due to how much longevity of story you get with Matilda and Vincent. A slow, sometimes quiet, and lovely burn. You might enjoy this if you like:
- Divine Rivals, but you wanted more about the gods
- mythology
- yearning across time and space

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Saturday Books for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 9/2/25. I'll be posting to Instagram soon

As someone who has not yet read the Divine Rivals books I found this book good, but I wasn't blown away with it. Maybe that perspective would be different had I read those books(something to keep in mind that might make my review a bit subjective).

This story follows a goddess and her journey from childhood to adulthood, through several realms, and facing conflicts between other gods and goddesses. In her childhood she encounters a mortal male whom she connects with in dreams, and later reconnects with him in adulthood. It was a very interesting dynamic to read about, how she navigated her life as a goddess but now becoming involved in the mortal realm and this man's life.

Overall I thought the story was good, and things definitely picked up in the last 75%. However, many parts felt drawn out and could have been condensed and still achieved the same goal. Like I mentioned earlier, maybe I would have appreciated the story more had I read Divine Rivals?

Favorite Quote: "His soul found mine before I even knew how to look for his."

Tropes/Themes:
- dual POV
- gods/goddess x mortal relationship
- fake marriage

INCREDIBLE. Actual perfect. If you loved Divine Rivals, you MUST read. So beautiful. Ross gives you everything in this and I’m speechless. Truly obsessed. The deity adventure, deep love and different relationships depth had my heart racing. How does she do it?! Immediately wanting to read it again.

I had a hard time getting into this one but I got there and loved it! Need to add to read again.

Is this a series? I feel like I saw chatter about another book but I could be wrong.