First and foremost I’d like to say a HUGE Thank You to NetGalley, Saturday Books and Rebecca Ross for an advance reader copy and advance sneak peak listeners copy of Wild Reverence! I had every intention of reviewing this book before publication but I just didn’t want the story to end. I should have known with a tagline like “What happens when a mortal falls in love with a God” that I was done for!

The audiobook sneak peak covered Part 1 (or the first 18 chapters) and boy was I sad when it ended! The narrators did a phenomenal job bringing Matilda and Vincent to life and I will definitely get an audio copy for a future re-read. My one comment on Part 1 was that it read a little slow. I know we’ve got to build the world, but it wasn’t until the characters grew up and the drama started that I really just didn’t want to put the book down.

Jen-uinely, I’m at a loss of words on how to write a proper review for this book. I don’t want to give spoilers but that ending was kind of perfect/the most heart breaking thing I’ve read in a long time (AND THAT EPILOGUE!! Makes me want to go read the Letters of Enchantment Duology all over again). I knew Matilda and Vincent’s fate was inevitable but I was hoping 🤞🏼🤞🏼

For fans of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows this is a must read! For anyone who has never read a Rebecca Ross book, why not?! The writing is beautiful and poetic. The characters feel so real and you just never want the story to end! Go pick up Wild Reverence today! You won’t regret it 🤓

4.5/5.0 stars

a beautiful, quietly devastating story of love, sacrifice, and the vulnerability.

i don’t really have the words to describe how utterly emotional spent this book left me… wow. the prose was so immaculate, and magical, too. the rich world-building makes the setting and atmosphere itself feel vibrant and somber at the same time in such a unique way and it also makes one feel like they’re there. Ross is excellent in writing her characters: so full of emotion, life, history and culture, and their relationships to each other (divine and mortal) is interconnected in such complex ways.

i do have to admit that the first part was quite slow but it does pick up fast after part two! i loved how Matilda and Vincent’s slow-burn relationship developed and their romance was so beautiful and heartbreaking.

This was such a lovely book! Rebecca Ross has such a beautiful lyrical way of writing that really draws me in everytime. Also, I really enjoyed the storyline, it was different from anything I have ever read. I really enjoyed all the different gods and how their magic and abilities worked. But, the best part in my opinion was the reversal of norms that we see in novels with Matilda being the strong immortal and Vincent being the mortal who is relying on her for assistance.

Excuse me while I cry about this book being over! I am so obsessed with this world and just overall how perfectly Rebecca Ross weaves a story!

Rebecca Ross just has a way with words, and this book reminded me why I always pick up her stories. The writing is great without ever feeling overdone, and the world felt so unique and easy to sink into. The characters especially stood out- they had depth, and I genuinely cared and was invested about what happened to them.

That said, the romance didn’t quite land for me. Since Matilda was pulled away so often, the relationship never felt fully developed, and I found myself wishing for more time with them together. The pacing also dragged a little in the middle, which slowed down my reading.

Overall, a beautifully written magical story that I’ve come to expect from RR.

4.5 star romantasy read

This was beautiful and poetic, a story about a mortal and a god whose destinies are intertwined. If you like Rebecca Ross’ lush story telling you will like this. The magic system with constellations and gods being able to steal and borrow others magic is so interesting to me. In general I think this book would be great for those who like Circe by Madeline Miller too! The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I wasn't sure where the plot was entirely going for the first 150 pages, so it took a bit of time for me to get into it. Overall, I think the writing was beautifully done!

I really love the way that Rebecca Ross writes and how beautiful her writing really is. This book did not disappoint on that front. The only thing that really held me back from rating this book higher than three stars was the first chunk of the book. I found myself really confused for the first quarter of the book and not fully invested in the characters and their lives until the thirty percent mark. Do not let that take away from her genius writing and how she is able to weave a story so thoughtfully!

Thank you Netgalley!
This was absolutely magical. As someone who adored Divine Rivals (not so much Ruthless Vows), i was so excited to dive into this. i was disappointed by RV but thankfully this surpassed it in so many ways! Dare I say, Rebecca’s writing has gotten even better and more lyrical. This was an absolute delight to read, like listening to a beautifully orchestrated song. I’m so happy we got to see a more in depth telling of the gods and this world.

This book was spectacular! What a love story! The last 50% was unputdownable. If you loved Divine Rivals you will love this one.
I loved Matilda and the way she grows into her confidence. And Vincent is just perfect.

I absolutely adored this! I thought it was so cool to read fantasy from the perspective of the gods and see how they interact with mortals. Rebecca Ross always paints such a vivid, beautiful fantasy landscape that I love getting lost in.

This book was EASILY one of my favorite books this year. Rebecca Ross' writing is effortlessly beautiful and poetic. I have chills thinking about different aspects of the book, the highlight(s) being her world-building and magic system. The Gods/Goddesses and how they were all connected to the Letters of Enchantment Duology. 😭❤️‍🔥 This should truly be the blueprint for "Prequels" for a beloved (finished) series. The epilogue had me in shambles. I think this is also one of those rare books that is such a strong standalone it could be read before or after the original duology and the reading experience would be enhanced either way. Many thanks to SMP/Saturday books for the early copy!

Oh I loooooved this book! I was a big fan of The Divine Rivals, so I knew I would enjoy Wild Reverence. Just like everything Rebecca writes, this was so beautiful. I loved learning about Matilda and following her incredible journey. The whole book was magical and romantic and heartbreaking and empowering and I just really enjoyed it. ❤️

🎧 The audiobook was absolutely STUNNING. Hannah van der Westhuysen is an incredible narrator. Rebecca's writing is beautiful, paired with Hannah's narration and it was just pure magic. Highly recommend listening!

Read if you like:
-The Divine Rivals
-Romantasy
-Gods/Goddesses
-Magic
-Fated Romance
-Slow-burn
-Gods/Goddesses & Mortals

Overall, this was such a lovely read and I was thinking about long after I finished it. The only reason I rated it 4 Stars was because it was LONG and I wanted a little more from the ending. But 10/10 recommend!

Thank you so much to Saturday Books for the ARC of Wild Reverence and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

3.5 or 4 stars.

This was my first Rebecca Ross read and I did enjoy it! I really loved the world and lore of this story and the writing style made it even more captivating. My only complaint with this one is that it felt a little too long and could have been trimmed down a bit. I found myself losing focus very easily. All in all an enjoyable read.

I can’t say enough amazing things about Rebecca’s writing! Each book is amazing and this new one is no different! I was engrossed!

When the goddess Matilda is born, she's unsure of where her life will lead. The pantheon that she's been born into is a place of cutthroat competition and destiny written in the stars. A powerful goddess predicts that she'll become a herald, a messenger that is able to travel throughout the divine and mortal realms at will. To train for this future, Matilda works with the god of war to become ready. In between furious bouts of learning, Matilda secretly dreams about a mortal boy named Vincent. When Matilda is forced to flee her home after a terrible betrayal, she seeks out assistance from her divine father and finally meets with Vincent in the human world. As the gods clash and mortals battle, Matilda will wrestle with a foretold love story powerful enough to change the fates of immortals. I adore Rebecca Ross. This story is sort of an exploration of the mythology that was featured in Ross' lovely Letters of Enchantment duology (starting with 'Divine Rivals'). Readers need not have read the duology to full enjoy this book. For me, this author's descriptions are vibrant and her romances are packed with passionate feeling. This is a great standalone to be savored on cool, fall evening. Give to romantasy buffs yearning for emotional intensity or folks who enjoyed the slow-burn of Margaret Rogerson's 'Enchantment of Ravens'.

I am a forever fan of anything Rebecca writes and I of course just loved this. I knew going into this it would become a favorite of 2025, the same way that divine rival eclipsed me. Her words are simply beautiful and I wanna capture every note

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Ross is back with another devasting and breathtaking book that had me feeling so many things. I absolutely adored Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows so I was endlessly excited to jump back into this world. It was familiar and comforting but there was also so much more of the world to discover. The writing was utterly captivating. I could hardly put it down. The characters were so incredibly unique and well developed. I loved the slow burn and natural progression to the romance. It felt meaningful and special. While some of the plot twists were easy to see coming, some of them took me by total surprise and had me in tears.

What a beautifully written story. Rebecca Ross has this ability to write vivid worlds and make you fall in love with her characters immediately.
Over the years, Vincent and Matilda’s lives are entangled with each other. She visits him in his dreams as a boy and as an adult she is sent to save his life. This has been hyped up so much recently and it absolutely deserved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

No one was more surprised than me that I couldn't get into this story right now! Absolute love Rebecca Ross, but this felt like a retelling of Divine Rivals for me. No flaws with the writing, characters, or plot, I just wasn't invested. I shall pick it up next time I'm in the mood for fantasy, because certainly I'll love it, right?

This is what the people want.
4.75⭐️only because I wished for a little more time with the main characters together.
Lovely, raw, emotional and magical prose transports you to an immersive and textured world with immortals, mortals and woven fates. Vincent and Matilda become acquainted as kids, but their worlds keep them apart. Conflict and betrayal all around, as well as, their undeniable connection, draw them back together later in life to see if they can change the fates that have been woven for them. The yearning👏🏼👏🏼and the loyalty-oh.my.gosh😍swoon-worthy romance.
Matilda’s life is a constant balancing act- between realms, preconceived notions, oaths, allies, desires and duty. She has a resilience that is forged in trial by fire that will challenge known boundaries. Matilda’s doesn’t belong because she fits into a box, she makes her own path despite her complex heritage and connections.
Overall the pace was slow, but whimsically slow and deliberately flowing.

This is reread worthy and I will be revisiting this at some point, probably during the winter months with a cozy blanket and warm drink.