THANK YOU Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC, I love this world and I now love each of these gods and their stories!
-Well maybe not 2 particular gods but that’s for the readers to decide. ;)

This book took me forever to read because I loved her (Matilda) so much, I didn’t want anything to possibly go wrong.

Spoiler: SH*T HITS THE FAN, repeatedly.

This couple is the definition of romance, I have never loved an FMC quite like her, she is a god-child that you learn and grow with throughout the story. She is plain and trusting and truly just innocent. You truly enjoy her time as a child and as she grows you just YEARN for her to be with her soul mate. I love Vincent so much, the love he has for her and has had for her since he was a boy. He memorized her constellation and draws it when he’s anxious, I quite literally cannot find words to describe how much I love their love.

Thank you, Rebecca I am so proud of their story and I love how you did it! I feel like there is now a nice bow on this world you introduced to with Divine Rivals!🤍

Thank you Rebecca and NetGalley for the arc!!

I unfortunately don’t think this story was for me and that’s ok! I really appreciate the obvious work that was put in for created this plot as I was truly impressed. It definitely seems like a big step up in complexity from Divine Rivals (which is already fantastic) so that for sure needed to get its credit. I will say I felt that I personally was not a fan of the pacing of the story and I think that’s why I couldn’t connect like I had expected to.

Rebecca truly is gifted in world building I will say that.

I am a huge fan of Rebeca Roth and the Divine Rivals books but to say I was so excited to get my hands on her new one would be a vast understatement!!

"Set in the world of the gods first introduced in Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross delivers a sweeping, beautiful adult novel filled with tension, romance, and dark secrets. (( True love is more divine, than any ruthless god. )) "

Synopsis: "Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world. -- Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him. --As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.

I loved every minute of reading this book and cannot wait for more from her!
Thank you so much to R. Ross, the publisher, and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for a review!

This story reads like a dream you don’t want to wake from—where ancient magic, whispered secrets, and a forbidden connection collide in the most unexpected ways. Matilda and Vincent’s journey is tender, mysterious, and quietly epic, unfolding across realms with a kind of quiet intensity that lingers long after the last page.

Though steeped in divine politics, hidden power, and the violence of immortality, at its core this is a story about vulnerability, about choosing love in a world that worships strength. With prose that shimmers and a romance that feels both destined and deeply earned, this book is a spell you’ll be glad you let take hold.

A story for anyone who believes the most powerful magic of all is simply letting yourself be seen.

"To be a lone goddess surrounded by men, devastated from battle, was dangerous. For men are like enthralls; they are drawn to shining, quicksilvered things, keen to tame them."

Rebecca Ross plunges the reader deep into a world of gods, salt sworn oaths, and deadly rivalries. I felt enchanted by her writing from the very first chapter. Starting off from when the young goddess Matilda is but a child, she weaves us through the goddess's life, giving us small tastes of what may befall her in the chapters to come. The pantheon of gods and goddesses, Underlings and Skywards, are fascinating and entirely unique. Ross has crafted a world entirely of her own. The magic system is enchanting and immersive.

This is a love story that spans across worlds, building upon itself as the story unfolds. Their love feels entirely natural and yet not of this world. I devoured these pages, eager for more of Matilda's life as she grew into her power and into her destiny.

For anyone who did not connect with the Divine Rivals series, I urge you to pick this one up. The plot alone will enthrall you, followed by the dynamic characters, and the pacing. Incredible story, I can't wait to read what Ross does next.

"This is the beginning of the end, I thought. If heatless gods can be made soft by such love, we are all doomed."

Wild Reverence is a beautifully written story that echoes the rhythm of ancient myths and folklore. Set against the backdrop of the Divine Rivals universe, Rebecca Ross does a wonderful job expanding the world and crafting a timeless, immersive atmosphere. Her prose is rich and lyrical—something I connected with immediately from the first page. It’s easy to get swept up in the magic of her words and the emotional depth of Matilda and Vincent’s relationship. That said, the pacing does slow a bit through the middle, before picking up momentum again in Act Five. While these chapters are still gorgeously written, they lack some of the narrative drive that makes the beginning and ending so compelling. Overall, a strong 4 to 4.5 stars—fans of the Divine Rivals duology will definitely find plenty to love here!

I really liked the first half! Getting to know Matilda and her moments with her family and Vincent were very interesting. However, I am nothing if not a romance girly and I wanted more of that. Their relationship didn’t get as much time as I hoped but maybe that was the point? She’s a goddess and he’s a mortal... maybe their time was always meant to feel limited. Overall, I’d give this one somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. If you’re into mythology, though, this book is totally up your alley. The epilogue gets 5 stars!!

Divine Rivals is one of my all time favourite books, so I was absolutely ecstatic to dive back into the world Ross created and she certainly did not disappoint!

While Wild Reverence is written in a slightly different style and slower pace compared to Divine Rivals, it is very fitting considering the setting. It gives almost a fairytale-like feel to the entire novel.

As always, Ross’ poetic prose is what draws me to her romance stories. Not only do the words exchanged between the main romance story make me swoon but the fierce and everlasting battles fought for other types of love is what made me so emotionally attached to this book as well.

First I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to have received early access to this book!

Rebecca Ross is such an amazing author and her ability to transform a character from child to adult but have it actually make sense and not be juvenile and cringy was actually wonderful.

This book was such a rollercoaster of emotions and made me feel everything. I will admit I didn’t rate Divine Rivals very high because I felt it lacked depth, but this book had it in spades. After the first 100 pages, I struggled to put it down. I also loved the tie in to Divine Rivals that didn’t give any spoilers away.

If you love a childhood friends to lovers with a lot of gods/goddesses/mythology and don’t mind some bloody battles and fairly tamer spicy scenes, then I highly recommend this book.

Rebecca Ross has the most lyrical and enchanting way of weaving a story. Her writing is just beautiful. The first half of the book took me some time to get into. I read it in small bits and pieces. The second half of the book had me on the line until I finished. Matilda's journey with herself and with Vincent is so magical. It was so interesting to see how her story unfolded and tied into the world of Letters of Enchantment. There was so much stuffed into this book and the world of these gods and their endless battle of wills and wits. I can't wait to see what happens from here!

Wild Reverence
This book convinced me to read more fantasy books! I loved this book. There was suspense, romance, mystery, and above all…love. My full review is on my socials. I highly recommend this book!

I don't even know how to start this review but this is by far the best arc I have read all year! I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands! It did take me about a week to read this mostly because I do my kindle reading at night but I honestly just didn't want it to end. This is so beautifully written! I am obsessed with Rebecca Ross and the way she packs so much into every sentence. Matilda's story is beautiful and so dynamic. The Elements of Candence was my favorite series of hers but this may just be my new favorite.

I love a good romantic fantasy romance and this delivered in the most devastating way. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, maybe it's the way this book just took me on a journey but I cried during the last 15%.

LOVED THIS!
Since learning about it I have been ecstatic for this and feel so lucky to finally have gotten to read it 😍
I was in LOVE with the Divine Rivals world and wasnt sure this would live up to it but it DID!
There wasnt a second I was bored, and I found the deeper dive into the gods of the DR universe fascinating.
There was the war, of course, and the romance. Oh the romance....🫠
It was so beautiful its all I could gosh about with my fellow DR fan, especially how perfectly the ending tied into the original duology 🥹
Honestly, it was just perfect and something I didnt even know I needed but totally glad i pre-ordered this because I need this in my life 🤩
10/10 recommend! The world building was top notch, characters i couldnt help but root for, battles, magic and intrigue and ROMANCE and a touch of "makes you want to cry", it was SO good!

This was such a fantastic read, and I loved so much about it that I actually struggled to organize my thoughts for this review. Powerful and moving, heartbreakingly beautiful, Wild Reverence is a haunting and romantic story rich with immersive world-building and compelling characters. There’s something about Rebecca Ross’s writing that just speaks to me, I think, because every book I’ve read by her has been a 5-star read. Wild Reverence is no exception.

Matilda, the sweet and loyal, tormented, bad ass main character has my whole heart. The journey she went on! Both emotionally and physically, Matilda went through it. My heart broke for her so many times, and I was so happy when she found little glimpses of joy in her life, most of which occurs when with the two most important males in her life - Bade and Vincent.

Bade is one of my favorite characters in the book, and I'm so glad we got such a deep look at him. He is a complicated god with many burdens to bear, and the grumpy yet protective dad vibes are strong. His relationship with Matilda is so much more than just the oath he swore to protect her, and I love how Matilda slowly began to see the depth of his and her own feelings. Not to be outdone, Vincent, Matilda’s main love interest, is a total dreamboat. I love his brother, too, but Vincent makes me want to swoon. Some of the things he says and writes to Matilda - OH MY WORD!! The relationship between Matilda and Vincent is brilliant. A friendship that began in childhood, their connection runs deep, as do their feelings for each other. Their story has so many tropes that I love- friends-to-lovers, fake marriage, goddess/mortal.

There’s so much I want to say about this story, but I don’t want to give too much away. I will say I loved learning more about the gods and goddesses from Divine Rivals. The author gives life to each of them, showing us what compels each and how their worlds entwine. I also love that we learned the origin of the typewriters used by Iris and Roman. So cool! It's a brilliant read, rich and layered, and it's definitely one I'll be thinking about for a long, long, time.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Saturday Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

But who could hold on to the wind? And, better yet, who would be so foolish as to trust - to love - such a wild being?”

Rebecca Ross has done it again and in someways, she might have outdone herself. I consider her to be one of the rare authors who has perfected world-building. Wild Reverence is set 600 years before Divine Rivals (make sure to read DR first!). She took the world she built there and gave it all new meaning and life. The gods, the different realms, the magic system… it’s perfect, in my humble opinion. Her books have consistently been 4.5-5 stars for me, and this one might be my favorite. Might 😉 it’s too hard to choose an actual favorite!

This book checked all of the boxes for me! We get dual POV, a beautiful romance, and an INCREDIBLE character arc from Matilda. She is officially one of my favorite literary characters of all time. It’s a big book at almost 500 pages but I savored every single page. Bravo, Rebecca 👏

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and @netgalley for the advanced readers copy! Grab this one on September 2nd!

Rebecca Ross continues to capture my attention and love with Wild Reverence. She creates an exciting world of gods/goddesses and mortals and a girl caught in between it all. There are many layers to this story, much like the world of Wild Reverence, but at no point did I feel confused or lost. There are a few slow moments throughout, which may not have been necessary to the overall plot, and I could have done without some of the miscommunication (or just lack of communication) between some of the characters. Other than that, I would highly recommend Wild Reverence to fans of Rebecca Ross, especially if they enjoyed the Divine Rivals duology.

No notes. Absolute perfection.

While there is plenty of action, I would not call this story fast paced by any means. The writing is quite possibly the most beautiful I have ever read, so I was grateful for the slower pace and build of the story. I would gladly live in these sentences.

While this is a prequel to Divine Rivals, it can absolutely be read independently with very minor spoilers relating to the gods.

I’m bewildered. I’m disappointed. I’m unwell .. 1.5 stars for me..

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

I love Rebecca Ross; her Divine Rivals series is among my favorite reads—but this fell flat in nearly every way for me...

Where it went wrong:

- Wobbly structure & inconsistent writing: The pacing felt like a rushed term paper. Grammar and word usage frequently shifted mid-sentence. At times, it read like it hadn't gone through a solid round of editing, and it really showed.

- Overuse of similes: Ross’s trademark prose became a crutch. There were so many “like” and “as if” comparisons that the lyrical writing ended up feeling repetitive and overly flowery. Instead of drawing me in, it dragged me out of the story and I was not wanting to pick this back up to read a lot of the time.

- Plot lacks focus & cohesion: The world-building and magical elements were vague and poorly explained. Powers appeared randomly, plot threads vanished, and the story lacked a clear structure or emotional arc - I legit felt NOTHING when it came to the romance..

-Emotional investment fizzles: The romance—between a goddess and a mortal—had so much potential😭😭😭😭 .. I didn’t feel the tension, vulnerability, or stakes. The emotions felt told, not shown - which is my biggest pet peeve in writing.

- Lengthy with no payoff: This book clocks in at over 500 pages, but it felt like 900.. Pacing was uneven, and the payoff never came for me. It just felt like a long, and like I was going nowhere.
And where it did go was extremely predictable and not what I was hoping for.

Overall... A major letdown from an author I adore. The heart was there, I kept waiting for it to click or redeem itself—and it just never did. Genuinely bummed about this one.

Wild Reverence, in all its flowing poetic prose, is truly something beautiful. Set in a time long before the Letters of Enchantment duology, Wild Reverence follows the herald of the gods, Matilda, and Vincent, a lord in the mortal realm, in a tale of how Fate inevitably brings their paths together. Rebecca Ross’s writing is, in a single word, magical.
I found it easy to be as lost in this world as I had been in Divine Rivals—the depth of both characters and world-building is something that sets it apart from many recent fantasy novels. The romance, in particular, I enjoyed, as it grew from a place of friendship, not frivolously suiting the plot. Side characters, as well, had just as much complexity, and their own stories—especially Bade’s—added so much life to the overall narrative. While the pacing at times fell a little slow, it often led into scenes where I felt as if there were not enough pages to turn.
Overall, I loved Wild Reverence. It’s emotional. It’s enchanting. It’s just as unforgettable as the duology that follows. Readers looking for a fantasy novel rich in world-building, that has yearning, and is beautifully written, I would highly recommend this novel to. It has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year.
To St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley: thank you for the eARC and the opportunity to read this book early.

Rebecca Ross is such a powerhouse in writing, and WIld Reverence is just the latest proof of that. The world of divine rivals was so beautifully done, so intriguing, that it is so incredible to be able to experience an extension of it in this novel. She is a master of yearning, of deep, cosmic love, of beautiful imagery and passion and setting. I will read anythign she writes.