This book needs a standing ovation. I loved every second of this delightful novel and it is so beautifully written I could weep. The world is so rich, the characters are well thought out and the plot was wonderful. I absolutely love how this ties into the "Letters of Enchantment" world so seamlessly and even knowing that it was part of the same world I had no idea how the author would tie these books together but I see the vision. For a book that is 600 pages long, I expected to get bored with this at some point and I'm so thrilled to say that this had no dull moments for me. The mortal/immortal romance angle can go very wrong if not done correctly but this was done so wonderfully and I just want to hug this book. Vincent & Matilda are forever immortalized to me.

If you loved Divine Rivals or even liked it, I think this book will definitely be a must read! I am so thrilled to have had the opportunity to ARC read this book and this is one I will likely re-read time and again.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved returning to this world and I enjoyed this book even more than Divine Rivals - that's going some. The tale of Matilda and Vincent is a beautiful love story that felt like a long told myth. The rivalries and intrigue between the gods and how it intertwined with the mortal works was fascinating. I could barely put it down, and I'm sad it's over.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review of “Wild Reverence” by @beccajross.

This was a great return to the Divine Rivals world and I loved learning more about the gods that we got a sneak peak at during the books. I didn’t reread the books before reading this and I was able to jump right back into the fantastic world. I adore Matilda and her determination and spark.

The book, for me drug in places but it was short lived and I ended up not being able to put this book down. I loved the mystery of feeling like I was left out of something but how it all comes together in the end was so well done. In the end, I ended up really liking this book.

This was amazing, I loved it! The world-building is just amazing. Rebecca Ross is an auto-buy author for me.

I really loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows when I read them. When I heard about Wild Reverence, I knew I had to read it. I loved Matilda and Vincent as protagonists and their love story, almost as much as Roman and Iris.

Once again, I fell in love with Rebecca Ross's words and worldbuilding. Returning to the world of Divine Rivals was fantastic.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC.

I read and loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, so I was beyond excited to return to the world Rebecca Ross so beautifully crafted, and Wild Reverence absolutely delivered.

Once again, her writing enchanted me. Her lyrical prose and masterful imagery brought this prequel to life in such a vivid, immersive way. She has a rare talent for building atmosphere that feels tangible, whether in the divine realm or the mortal world, and Wild Reverence is no exception.

I completely adored both main characters. Matilda is a standout female lead, not for bold declarations or flashy displays of power, but for her quiet, steady strength. Getting to follow her journey from childhood through adulthood made me feel deeply connected to her. Her voice, her thoughts, and her motivations are so thoughtfully portrayed. And Vincent... oh, Vincent. The yearning between him and Matilda was devastatingly beautiful. Watching them grow up both beside one another and through their shared dreams was tender and tragic in equal measure.

The plot was rich and engaging, weaving together the human and divine in a way that expanded on the events hinted at in the original duology while also standing strong on its own. I loved how it deepened the lore and history of the gods, and the callbacks to Divine Rivals were a lovely touch for those of us who have read and adored it.

Wild Reverence was everything I hoped for and more. What a beautifully written, emotionally charged tale of love, fate, and quiet heroism. It reminded me why I fell in love with this world in the first place and left me eager to explore more of Rebecca Ross’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Ross, and Saturday Books for the eARC of this book.

I had previously read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, so I was super excited to read another book set in that world. I once again found myself adoring the writing style and the imagery that Ross delivers.

I absolutely loved both of the main characters. Matilda was such a strong FMC, yet she remains strong in a quiet, grounded way. Being able to learn about her from reading about her childhood and moving on from there was great, and I really felt connect to her as a character. The storytelling allowed the reader to have insight into Matilda's perspective and her motivation. The yearning between her and Vincent, the MMC, is amazing and heartbreaking at the same time. Watching the two of the grow up alongside each other both in person and in their dreams is just so sweet and sad.

The plot was great and incorporated both the human world and the divine ones. It allowed for further exploration into events that were mentioned in the original duology, as well as new events and plot points.

The writing of Wild Reverence was just top notch and makes me want to read more of Rebecca Ross's works!

4.5
A truly beautiful book in every way.
This book had the yearning of Divine Rivals and the sadness of Ruthless Vows. Both Vincent and Matilda were excellent characters who had so much depth. Their love story will stick with me.
I love Ross's writing style, and it really shows through in Wild Reverence. The way the setting is described in the multiple realms and how the atmosphere is created gives the story life. This book made me cry, and I had to put it down to take a break sometimes, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
I also loved the Divine Rivals call backs.
Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the eARC

This one was beautifully written! I didn’t read Divine Rivals before starting this so I expected to be more confused at the beginning but I was able to keep up. I appreciated how a lot of the dialogue felt like poetry. Loved all the gods lore and connections!

I’ve never read Divine Rivals or this author before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I saw that this was a standalone so I figured why not? I’m happy I did.

When it was announced that we’d be getting a new book in the world of Divine Rivals, I was ecstatic and curious. Ross’ prose is beautiful and the aspects of the gods in the Letters of Enchantment duology felt like there was so much more to tell.

This is a beautiful story of how fate, power, duty, and love work together and against each other.

Matilda begins as an inconsequential goddess that is kept sheltered throughout her childhood. We meet Dacre and Enva and learn of the true story to the myth we are told in Letters of Enchantment, a story in which Matilda plays a key, though unsung, role.

Vincent is the third born son and the first mortal to learn who the newest constellation belongs to. The life Vincent expected is thrown into turmoil due to another’s quest for power and Vincent ultimately accepts this power as his duty, even if it’s not something he ever expected or wanted.

Matilda and Vincent’s fates are tied together so much that even the Goddess of Death cannot untie them. Whether together or apart, they use the power that has been thrust onto each of them to fulfill their duty.

There is so much more I could say, but it crushes my heart. There are two lines that perfectly encapsulate this book:

“His name was a shiver in my bones, a whisper in my memory.”

“She was not mine by spoken vow but something deeper. Something that felt older, stronger, darker, like a language that had been sung centuries ago but had now been forgotten.”

let me start this off by saying that i actually really liked this book. i have some nitpicky things to say that might make it seem otherwise, but it was a good read, i promise! i’m a terminal hater, it’s an affliction, it can’t be helped. but the takeaway message here is: unique premise, lots of fun, even made me tear up a bit. it’s a winner!

my one consistent hangup with rebecca ross’s books is that i think she’s a bit of a tryhard (sorry). the purple prose gets a little overboard even for me sometimes, and i say this as a purple prose apologist. but something about this style clashes with a first person POV, in my opinion — i’m not saying you can’t have flowery language when you’re using this type of narration, but when it’s supposed to come off as someone’s perspective/inner thoughts it feels more incongruous. it made matilda and vincent’s narration feel the same, instead of giving each of them more of a unique voice. the style feels a bit more awkward overall than it would if the story was told from a third person POV. and even then, when you’re writing about how “his eyes were riveted to mine as if he were afraid i’d evanesce if he looked away”, i need you to take it down a few notches. she used evanesce quite a lot, actually, and irreverent, too. which is kind of funny considering the fact that the title is wild REVERENCE, and vincent is the one who’s consistently described as irreverent. like, i got it! the man does not fuck with the gods like that! put “irreverent” down and slowly back away, rebecca ross. also, the random medieval words she threw in every so often kind of cracked me up. making sure we know this story is set a long time before her duology: check!

anyway, enough of that. like i said, i did have a good time reading this! something about her books are compulsively readable for me, and i’d much rather have flowery prose that skews a bit overwrought sometimes than some of the stuff that’s out there these days. it was cool to see the foundation of the world she built in divine rivals, and i loved matilda and vincent’s story.

Fans of Rebecca Ross will love this magical, lyrical book! One of my favorite things about Rebecca Ross’s writing is her creative world-building. Her magic systems are unique, yet feel so well-established that you all but forget they only exist within this book. I loved Matilda and Vincent—along with some of our side characters—and felt immersed in the star crossed fates of gods and mortals. A wonderful addition to the letters of enchantment universe.

I am so grateful to have received an ARC!

I am so grateful to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this absolutely stunning book in advance.

Set 600 years in the past in the same world as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, this book tells the story of a goddess falling in love with a mortal.

Throughout the story the writing paints a picture in such a way that it almost feels like you are watching everything unfold in your mind. It felt immersive, which amplified the heart wrenching attachment the unfolds to the characters as you read.

This story reminds me of her books Sisters of Sword and Song and Dreams Lie Beneath, both standalones of hers that I loved.

I am so glad I read this book but am struggling through a substantial book hangover now that I’ve finished. I’m looking forward to read it again on its pub date- for anyone on the fence please GO, order it now and count down the days, you will not regret it.

UGH this was beautiful, just absolutely beautiful🥹🤍

I am convinced that Rebecca Ross cannot write a bad book. Everything in this book is beautiful and magical from the writing to the settings of both the mortal and divine worlds to the characters and their love for each other. Matilda and Vincent - I LOVED them and their journey and just everything about their relationship with each other (they kind of have a fake dating/marriage of convenience thing going on, and if you like the “my wife” trope, you will be happy). It was fascinating to learn more about the gods we first heard about in Divine Rivals, as well as other gods that had been lost to memory, and I really liked the epilogue and how it tied the whole story back to DR. I cannot wait to get this book in my hands later this year and I cannot wait for Rebecca Ross’ next book.

Thank you to Saturday Books and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

Yet another amazing story by Rebecca Ross! This prequel felt so well done and I loved the way the epilogue perfectly tied the story to Divine Rivals.

The writing style is, as always, so beautiful. The tone of the story felt closer to A River Enchanted than it did to Divine Rivals. I read the entire story in two sittings and I couldn't put it down for the last ~35%.

I loved they way the characters are written and I felt quite attached to (most) of them by the end. The different relationships between the characters felt so believable and nothing was rushed through. The yearning was immaculate and had me wishing that there was a sequel. I almost worry that finishing this book has given me something of a book hangover - I'm not ready to move on!

The pacing is quite slow in the beginning as it follows Matilda's early life. I can see why some people might struggle with the beginning, but I felt it was so necessary for the characters. The pacing does pick up quite a bit in the back half, with the main plot taking place over about 2 weeks or so. This was about the point that I found it quite hard to put the book down to do anything else. I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

I absolutely loved this book even though it took me a while to finish it - life kept getting in the way. I love the world building Rebecca Ross has created and the characters were amazing in this book and so so lovable, especially Matilda!

I am so grateful I got the chance to read an early copy of this book.

I had never read Divine Rivals, but I was very excited to receive this ARC and read a book by Rebecca Ross for the first time. I was captivated by this story, and was in awe of the poetic writing. I will say that it started off a bit slow, but otherwise, this may be a new favorite read of mine.

Wild Reverence takes place in the same universe as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. It is from the perspective of a goddess rather than a human and takes place before the events of Divine Rivals.

It was a very slow start for me. Even though we’ve been in this world before, there was a good amount of world building left to explain the immortal realms. I got bogged down in it and almost gave up. But the second half of the book picked up and I really liked it!

I had no idea what to expect when I started to read this book. There were parts of Divine Rivals I had loved but also parts I had struggled with. But this book, I devoured! After reading so much fae fantasy it took me a bit to get into the world of gods but once the story started going I struggled again. I struggled to put the book down!! I loved the world and the characters Rebecca Ross created especially grumpy Bade. This has me wanting to go back to Divine Rivals with a better understanding of the beautiful world and how the magical powers came to be!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the ARC.