Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross might just be the best book I’ve read all year.
I’m sorry, Rebecca—I was not familiar with your game.

This story completely swept me away. I am literally writing this review through tears because my heart feels so full. It was beautiful, it was thrilling, it was touching—it was everything. And while I feel extremely satisfied with the story, it’s also incredibly bittersweet that it had to end.

Rebecca Ross has one of the most breathtaking, intricate writing styles I’ve ever come across. The prose felt like poetry, and the world she’s built is so immersive and thoughtfully crafted that I want to live in it forever. After finishing this, I will absolutely be diving into everything else she’s ever written.

Wild Reverence follows Matilda, a young goddess who has recently been named the Herald of the gods—an overlooked figure even among her peers. As the daughter of both upper and lower gods, Matilda uniquely straddles the realms and becomes a divine messenger. Through her eyes, we experience the joys and tragedies of her immortal adolescence, her ascension, and the heartbreak that shapes her into who she becomes.

In her youth, Matilda stumbles upon a mortal boy’s dreams and becomes fascinated with him. After years apart, tragedy and fate bring them back together when the goddess of death entrusts Matilda to deliver a message to him. What follows is a reunion laced with devotion, bittersweet hope, and the aching question of whether she will ever have to leave his side again.

I won’t spoil what unfolds between them, or what they must face in the immortal world, but trust me when I say: it’s beautiful. Every moment is earned. Every reveal lands with weight. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Ross’s mythology and worldbuilding blew me away. The constellation-based god system she’s created is rich with lore and detail—immortals are born with a single domain tied to a constellation, and to gain more power, they must kill others and claim theirs. This is such a clever take on how gods end up with seemingly unrelated domains (like Poseidon ruling the sea and horses?). It’s smart, seamless, and so immersive I believed in every part of it.

To give this book 5 stars feels like an understatement. Rebecca Ross has woven a story so vivid and divine that it feels like she might just be the goddess of storytelling herself.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Wild Reverence releases on September 2, 2025—I highly recommend pre-ordering it or adding it to your TBR right now. You will not be disappointed.

This was one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. The prose is lovely to read, the story telling captivates you from the start, and I don’t even have the words to describe Matilda and Vincent.

This is first book I’ve read in some time that left me quite emotional at the end. The epilogue wraps the story up nicely and I’m looking forward to reading more of Rebecca Ross’ work.

𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

Firstly I have always thought Rebecca’s writing style was so beautiful! It’s almost poetic or lyrical. I think this book took her skills to the next level.

I have to admit starting felt a little slow, but almost quickly picked up for me. I think the way she set up this world was seamless. There was no wondering if you missed something. This also extends to the character building. They are introduced then naturally built up.

Rebecca has such a way of writing compelling love stories. I think her skills were taken to a new level, because the love between Matilda and Vincent was beyond beautiful. It reminded me so much of Iris and Romans’s relationship in Divine Rivals. Matilda and Vincent are not the same though. Their stories are very different the way Rebecca brought them together was swoon worthy!

Since this book is in the same ‘world’ as Divine Rivals I was able to see what was set up. It helped me feel even closer to the Letters of Enchantment duology. You get to see the build up start, and eventually end in Ruthless Vows.

Despite the couple times I mentioned the Letters of Enchantment duology, this story is completely its own. If you’ve read the duology, you will see the connections and I fully believe it’ll make you appreciate it a lot more.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the advance eArc in exchange for my honest review.

“Which do you think is weaker, Matilda? Your mind or your heart?”

Coming off Divine Rivals duology, I had very high hopes for The Wild Reverence. And while the writing was just as lyrical and atmospheric, and the themes just as sweeping and interesting with gods at war, dream connections, fate, stars, and death; it didn’t quite hit the same emotional mark for me as Divine Rivals did.

The love story between Vincent and Matilda felt more like fated mates/insta-love than earned. The set up was there with the dream connection, the meeting for the first time as teens, but when they were actually together, I felt very little chemistry between them. It’s beautifully written and full of longing, but I struggled with the emotional balance. Vincent’s devotion to Matilda is palpable, aching, even. His letters, his quiet sacrifices, his constant yearning, it’s all stunning. But I never fully felt that Matilda met him with the same intensity. Her actions didn’t always scream "in love", which made the romance feel a little one-sided at times. The two characters also spent so little time together physically that there really wasn't an opportunity for the epic love story to happen.

That said, there are still moments that shine. For starters, Rebecca Ross does write beautiful lines like: “She was my secret. And I imagine I was hers.” or “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, when the mists welcome me, when I am hopefully very old and gray and grouchy and have spent the seasons beside you when you are here and dreaming of you when you are gone.” were simply unforgettable. And the world Ross built is layered with magic and myths remains a strength. I loved being able to see the divine side of the divine rivals' universe.

I appreciated the blend of the "mundane and the magical, the mortal and the divine." The story is rich in atmosphere, and the ending gave a satisfying full circle moment with the typewriters at the very end, which segways right into the original series. It’s a good book. Just not quite the emotional punch I was hoping for.

Tropes: Dream connections, gods at war, mortal x immortal, marriage of convenience, "who did this to you", and only one bed

Perfect for fantasy mythology fans.

WOW WOW WOW, REBECCA ROSS HAS DONE IT AGAIN. If you loved divine rivals you will love this. She has a way with writing that doesn't just touch you, it feeds your soul

For fans of romantasy, Wild Reverence, by Rebecca Ross, is a must-read. Gods, goddesses, magic, and a human/god love affair make this surprisingly wholesome story one to remember.

oh wow what a ride!! I loved this book and I will be buying everything this author writes! she just keeps getting better!

So when I first got the arc for this book, I decided to read divine rivals first. It made it seem in the blurb that it was a prequel. It is, but not a necessary one to understand this book. It was also nice that this was a standalone and not a new series. The story follows the young goddess Matilda as she grows up and achieves her powers. Vincent, a mortal, dreams of her as a young boy and then eventually receives it at his most dire moment. This book was classified as new adult, but I think it could also be young adult. Finally, I liked how the story did not conform to the happily ever after that most readers expect, but really a more realistic one. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OH. MY. GODS. I absolutely LOVED this book - Rebecca Ross has 100% done it again. I adored Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows, and this prequel did NOT disappoint at all. It has all the same vibes and amazing writing as DR/RV, a soul-scorching slow burn romance, and the feels of a classical tragedy woven with a love story that spans the ages. And I loved all the bits and pieces of how this story linked back to DR/RV, helping to fill in some of the knowledge gaps from the original duology while still weaving its own tale that is amazing in its own right.

I absolutely cannot get enough of this book, and I know I'm going to just as obsessed about this book as I am the original duology.

And the way I SQUEALED at those last few pages (IYKYK), and I am still vibrating a bit from that ending. There are SO MANY FEELING, all of them good.

This book was admittedly a slow start for me, but at about the time the “future” love interest was introduced I was hooked. The story is intricate and sweet, spanning through childhood and aging with their characters. I absolutely adored how they were connected.

As I read, there were definitely times I felt the slowness of the story, but I think that’s more about my particular preferences when it comes to pacing. I think a lot of people will enjoy the slow build of this story and the extreme care taking in weaving the details of this world. Could this book have been a little shorter for me? Probably, but the details were really rich when it came to the divines and their interactions. I wish that same richness was provided to the romance, but it was a little too distant for my taste.

All in all, fans of epic fantasy will probably love this one! Especially fans of gods and divines. Even as a predominant romance reader, I was totally sucked into this world.

Thank you so much to Rebecca Ross and St. Martins press for an eARC of Wild Reverence!

I loved the Letters of Enchantment and the Elements of Cadence series by Rebecca Ross, and Wild Reverence is a perfect blend of the two storylines. Set in the Divine Rivals universe, Wild Reverence tells the story of a young goddess Matilda and the human boy Vincent she meets in his dreams.
If you’ve only read the Letters of Enchantment series, you may be expecting a more “urban fantasy” type of storyline, with cities, newspapers, trains, and typewriters. This book is more in line with the fantasy of the Elements of Cadence series, with gods who control seasons and earthly elements, as well as war, music, fate, and many other elements. Also in line with the Elements of Cadence series, this is set in a fairytale-esque timeline, with lords and knights, castles, travel by horseback, and worship of gods.
Like any good Ross fantasy, this has a deep and cutting romance spun into the story’s very essence. Matilda and Vincent face a series of challenges that left me with my heart ripped out. As if their difficult choices weren’t sad enough, Ross writes so poetically and deeply that every sentiment was a nail in my emotional coffin. And as the final act ended, the tie-in to Divine Rivals was almost too much for me to handle.
Suffice to say, I loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone. If you’ve read either of Ross’s other series I mentioned, this is an immediate yes in a “why are you even asking?” kind of way. And if this is your first Ross book, perfect! I hope you like it, and you should immediately get your hands on the other four books I mentioned!
Thanks to Netgalley and Saturday Books for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

where do i even begin? this story was beautiful. the way Rebecca writes is so incredibly eloquent, emotional, driven, and more. i couldn’t get enough. i yearned for these characters and felt so stressed at times — i quite literally had my heart racing at some parts and melting at others 🥹 i whole heartedly love this story and i love matilda and vincent. i’ve said this before but the song matilda by harry styles truly encapsulates who matilda is and what she found in her story. i really want to keep yapping about this book but Rebecca Ross will always have me crying over her fictional characters (BUT THEY ARE REAL TO ME).

thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for sending me this digital ARC!🩷

Wild Reverence was one of the best books I've read in a very long time, and I'm in such a book hangover. The world building and political intrigue were gripping, and I was deeply invested in the complex characters. This story was so full of love, both romantic and familial. Matilda's strength yet vulnerability were woven so beautifully together into her character. The love story between Matilda and Vincent was so gentle, and the fake marriage trope was done so perfectly. I loved every second of it. My only comment is we were robbed of a Matilda/Bade reunion scene! I would love to see a bonus scene! Their father/daughter dynamic was so beautifully done, and I sobbed when she guided his soul. Rebecca Ross is quickly becoming of my favorite authors with her poetic writing style. This will definitely be one of my top reads of 2025!

Wild Reverence is a sonnet that takes hold of your heart and keeps it captive for its entirety. The silence and ache of my heart after reading this masterpiece is unmatched and Ross has done it again… she weaves pure magic from the gods into her stories.
A tale of love beyond measure, we are brought back into the land of Underlings and Skywards to understand what truly happens between gods and mortals. Dacre and Enva are only pieces of the much larger puzzle that engulfs the magical realms of eithrals and typewriters.

Being blind to the path Rebecca leads us on, the first 20% feels like a whimsical and removed take from both her duologies, Letters of Enchantment and Elements of Cadence, BUT she takes you by the hand and says “trust me, see where this leads”
Needless to say, I was sobbing by 60% through the rest of the story and haven’t stopped since.

This book will live in my brain forever and with haunt me endlessly.

This was truly a beautiful story, but I expected nothing less from Rebecca!
I felt every emotion while reading this, and even had tears at one point. This was one of those beautiful stories that stay with you for a long time after.
The world-building and imagery were beautiful and truly kept me invested throughout, and honestly, I did not want it to end. Rebecca has such a way with words, and her talent never fails to amaze me. The YEARNING in this story? WOW. Give me 14 more of them right now.

What a beautiful, lyrical story. Rebecca Ross has been an auto buy author for me for several years, and she has once again proven why. She builds on the foundation of the world building of the Letters of Enchantment duology, while creating an entirely new cast of characters for readers to love. This story dives deep into the lore that underlies Letters of Enchantment, and reads like a mythology retelling - except that this is an entirely new pantheon. I so enjoyed diving back into this world and seeing the origins of the magic I came to love.

It is also a story that can be easily enjoyed if you haven't read Letters of Enchantment. Matilda and Vincents story stands perfectly on its own. There is so much character growth from Matilda's childhood and teen years til the end of the book. You will get to watch her make clumsy mistakes and impulse decisions, as well as bargains that come back to haunt her. I so look forward to reading this again when the physical copy hits my hands in September.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saturday Books for my eARC.

I think I fell for the hype of the Divine Rivals Duology and that's why I felt compelled to pickup this book. Sadly I didn't really enjoy this one and I think this was the final nail in the coffin for me. I know many will eat this book up, but I didn't really enjoy my time.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital arc.

Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows are two books which will always have a place in my heart. When I learned there was a prequel, I was excited to say the least. And when I obtained an advanced copy to read and review, I was honoured.

As someone who doesn't typically read fantasy, I was surprised by how much I loved the Letters of Enchantment series and from the very first page, Wild Reverence did not disappoint. I was magically brought into the fantasy realm with beautiful writing, vivid scenery, mythology, astrology and into a world where mortals and immortals collide. The romance between Matilda and Vincent, who first met in dreams at 13 and reunited 13 years later, stole my heart and the epilogue had me smiling ear to ear. Perfect.

Absolutely, without a doubt, an exceptional fantasy read. The descriptive writing will take your breath away and it will be tough to put this book down once you start.

This is the prequel to the Letters of Enchantment duology, and while it took me a dash of time to get interested in Divine Rivals, I was incredibly invested about halfway through and assumed that it may feel the same for this story.

Sadly, I found Wild Reverence to be slow and a bit disjointed. It felt like the story could've benefitted from another POV, perhaps that of one of the Gods, as we often missed details as a result of Matilda being out running between places as critical events are happening. I wanted to know more of what was transpiring as she was in the opposite realm, and I wanted to hear about it from the other POV.

I also found the love story between Matilda and Vincent to be lacking – the setup was there (in the meeting in dreams so many years prior to actually meeting in person), but when they were actually together, I felt very little chemistry between them. I wanted a more epic love story that developed more, but the characters spent so little time together physically that there really wasn't an opportunity for that to happen.

Two stars because there were many elements that set up what could've been a great story, but sadly this was a miss for me.

First off, Thank you to Rebecca Ross, publisher, and Net Galley for this ARC!! Getting an ARC related to one of my favorite series is every reader’s dream!

Wild Reverence is a prequel story set before Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. I read this book before finishing Ruthless Vows, and I’m didn’t get any spoilers for the series!

This book was hauntingly beautiful. I was immediately pulled into the story. Rebecca Ross’s writing drew me into this fantasy world instantly. In terms of writing, if you enjoyed Stephanie Garber’s writing style and TOG’s pacing, you will love reading this book.

Matilda and Vincent stole my heart.

Vincent: This man is the Lord of Yearning. Throughout the book, whenever he thought of Matilda or spoke to or of her, there was so much longing and pining that seeped through his words.

Matilda: She was a well written character and complex. Everything she did had a reason, whether it was known to the reader at first or not.

Vincent and Matilda are wrapped in pain, yearning, the ghosts of the past, and the warmth of love. It was hauntingly beautiful and devastatingly magical.

If you loved any of Rebecca Ross’s other books, you’ll enjoy this one! This book is definitely for my fantasy lovers.

Most of all, if you love Love, you’ll love this book.