It took me a little to get into the story because I needed to get used to this world before Divine Rivals. Once catastrophe happened to Matilda, and she grew into her powers and life, I was hooked. I liked Matilda as our main character. She makes mistakes, but she's clever and loves deeply. I really liked her role as a goddess and how her magic works. It was unique. Vincent is also a great character. I love how sweet and kind he is. I love his dedication to Nathaniel and Matilda. Their relationship was so sweet, and I loved every minute of it. In this novel, you see gods and goddesses that pop up in Divine Rivals, and you see why Matilda's role matters to those stories. The end of part 4 and the beginning of part 5 hurt my heart, but that's just a sign of a great book, right?

The only word to describe this book is breathtaking! This was such a beautiful love story, written in the poetic way that Rebecca Ross has with words!

This book is set in the past in the world of Divine Rivals, and I absolutely loved learning more about the gods and goddesses and what came before.

Matilda is one of my new favorite heroines. I loved reading about her very real struggles and challenges, and watching her grow as a character in both strength and depth. Watching her navigate the court politics of the upper and lower realms has me very intrigued and I hope we get more stories like this that dive deeper into this world!

Rebecca Ross was already an auto-read author for me, but this book just confirmed that. I will 1000% recommend this story. If you love old school fairytales and legends - this reads like something out of a beautiful animated storybook in the beginning of a classic Disney movie.

Do yourself a favor and grab this when it comes out!!

Thanks to the author for this early edition! All opinions are my own!

4.5 stars!
Wild Reverence was such a magical read! I think my heart grew a few sizes just reading this story. It was so elegantly written that I couldn’t help but love the story and its characters. The world-building was so detailed that the first 30% of the book felt so slow-paced. It definitely took me longer than usual to get through. But once the plot started rolling, I could not put this book down.
I absolutely loved the second half of the book. It was so riveting and heart wrenching! And I devoured it. The spice in this romantasy was very mild since it is a New Adult novel but the romance still hit its mark like an arrow to the heart.

I read the last couple chapters and the epilogue in constant tears! The book was wrapped up beautifully with no storyline left unfinished.

Releases 9/2/25

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rebecca Ross for this arc.

Set in the same world as Divine Rivals… “Before Iris sat at her typewriter and before Enva sang her song, a young goddess wandered dreams…”

Thank you to the publisher, Saturday Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, Rebecca Ross, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wild Reverence is #0 in the Letters of Enchantment series—a prequel set in the same universe that sets the foundation for Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. And it delivered! 🖤

This book was unputdownable from the very first page. Rebecca Ross’s writing is magical, haunting, and immersive. I was fully invested, and I never wanted it to end. The pacing was perfect, and I was never bored while reading it.

The best part of this story for me was Matilda and Vincent. Having met in Vincent’s dreams from a young age to eventually falling in love was such a unique setting. Their love was beautiful, tragic, and fated. It was full of longing and dedication from both sides.

“We were bound by friendship and a familiarity that made my chest ache.”

“She was not mine by spoken vow but something deeper… older, stronger, darker.”

“As with all divines, she was beautiful in a way that robbed breath and stole into dreams. I had always thought such of her, even when we were children. And if this chamber was a pool, she was a pebble tossed within its quiet waters. Her presence had weight; the very air seemed to gather around her.”

“My home is your home. My arms are a haven for you to rest… I will love you to my grave, and even beyond it.”

"I would wait a thousand years for you," Vincent said. "If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar.

Vincent’s love for Matilda was true and timeless, even when distance and fate tried to keep them apart. Their story broke me in the best way.

I also admired Matilda’s relationship with Bade. It had such a touching found family, father-daughter feel to it. Their bond added so much heart and gave Matilda another kind of love that was just as important.

And the way everything tied into Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows at the end in the epilogue was so well done.

Wild Reverence will stay with me for a long time 🖤

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!
What a beautiful, poetic, tear inducing gut punch! I went into this book completelt blind to it being integrated with Divine Rivals but what a pleasant surprise at the end!
This book completely entranced me. To be thrown in to the intricacies of the divines and the roles they feel they must play. The truths they hide from themselves and others was completely heartbreaking to witness in this world that Rebecca Ross spun for us.

The first half of this book felt like it could have been a book all on its own. So much was constantly happening (I'm not mad at it) and I remember thinking, "Heck, this god-child needs a hug and a break."

There was so much lore/world building happening here that even with all of the action happening, it did take me a while to get through the first half, though I don't regret a second of brain power spent trying to sort it all out.

THANK YOU, thank you NetGalley for this ARC. Seriously, Thank you!
Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy
Descriptors: Gods vs Mortals, Magic, Dreams, Power, Greed, Descriptive, Sadness, Deceit, Love and Honor
Least Favorite Character: Warin, ick.
Point of View: 2 characters.
Spice: romance vs smut :) and very little of it.
Standalone: Yes and No. This book happens BEFORE the Divine Rivals timeline (which only makes me want to re-read it now.) You can read this as a standalone, the ending will be more aha and touching if you've read the other story but not necessary.

I went in this expecting to be just as enchanted by this book as the original duology and was not disappointed. I loved getting a peek into the world of the gods from this point of view and Matilda’s story was captivating and powerful.

I genuinely feel as though Rebecca Ross is in a league of her own when it comes to writing, and this was her at her best. Her lyrical prose is so captivating; she could write a story about paint drying and I’d be entranced. Instead, though, she wrote a beautiful love story with a cast of rich characters and intriguing political plots. Matilda, while being one of a kind even amongst the world of gods and goddesses, was such a deeply relatable character, and Vincent was truly endearing. Their love story was beautifully built, and will stay with me for quite some time.

This book was so good, I hardly wanted to put it down. I really enjoyed the magic system. Getting to know more about the gods and the rest of the world is exactly what was missing from the other two books. I loved the adventure in this book. The writing was really good and I have no notes, this book couldn't be better in my opinion.

3.5/5 rounded up!

There was a lot to like about Wild Reverence. One of my favorite things about Rebecca Ross as an author is her talent for writing novels that are unabashedly romantic and characters who are incredibly earnest in their love. Misunderstandings/miscommunications between characters are cleared up quickly and in a literary landscape where many fantasy romances depend on such things to drive a plot forward, it is refreshing to see otherwise. That carries over from Divine Rivals, though you don’t need to read the original duology to appreciate this prequel. But for those who have read the Letters of Enchantment series, I think you’ll find that the romance between Matilda and Vincent is just as strong as the romance between Iris and Roman. The angst of a mortal loving a god and a god loving a mortal was beautifully depicted and you get a real sense of the distance that always looms between them because of the different worlds they inhabit. Matilda and Vincent fight and claw against these odds and that’s what makes their relationship compelling.

In Divine Rivals, you get an impression of the vast history of gods, myths, and magic that still reverberate through the foundation of the story. But in Wild Reverence, Ross lovingly expands the sprawling lore we only get a glimpse of in DR. You get to see the gods at the height of their power and influence, which I truly enjoyed. And Ross’ prose was, as always, lovely!

Where this book stumbled a bit for me was the flow of the plot. The pacing felt akin to a sputtering motor, with a lot of stops and starts. The first 30% admittedly felt very slow to me. While I loved the attention to detail and world-building, it did feel like an extended prologue at times. It started to pick up from there, but still was very uneven for most of the book. Matilda, as a goddess, was constantly being pulled in different directions for one reason or another and I felt this time would’ve been more effectively spent building the romance instead. It was a tad bit bloated with all the different plot threads, but did come together for me in the last 20% of the book.

Romantic, fantastical with uneven pacing that bogged down the overall flow. Still definitely worth the read!

SIX FREAKING STARS!!

I absolutely devoured this ARC. From the very first page, Wild Reverence pulled me in and refused to let go. Rebecca Ross has once again woven a world that feels both vast and intimate, steeped in divine politics, shimmering magic, and prose so lyrical it reads like a heartbeat on the page.

But it’s the slow burn yearning between the two main characters that truly had me in a choke hold. Every stolen glance, every lingering moment, every unspoken word built a tension so exquisite it left me breathless. Their connection is a masterclass in longing—so potent I could feel it in my bones.

The world-building is lush, the stakes are high, and the writing lingers like a dream you can’t quite wake from. It’s romantic, heart-wrenching, and utterly addictive. Six stars because five simply isn’t enough.

Rebecca Ross, you’ve outdone yourself. This book is going to live rent-free in my head for a long, long time.

Wild Reverence is a story full of magic, fate, and love. Rebecca Ross' words suck you into this world and completely immerse you in the story. It follows Matilda, the herald of the gods who comes from two opposing realms. She carries messages for the divine and discovers more about her powers than any could have expected. Her fate is entwined with a mortal boy named Vincent who sees her in his dreams. Wild Reverence is full of alliances, power struggles, and romance.

I loved this so much. I loved the lore of the gods and goddesses regarding how they give and receive their powers and the constellations attached to them. Matilda is such a well-written protagonist. Her thought processes and feelings are so realistic and I loved seeing her grow into her power and fight for those she loves. The romance is so good. The slow burn. The yearning. The world building is so unique. It feels like there are endless possibilities and moments throughout the story consistently connect and come full circle. Overall, I absolutely loved this and that epilogue was perfect.

This prequel was so well executed in my opinion. It gave me all the background knowledge I was craving while reading Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows.

Yes, the pacing is slower, and it took me a while to read—but not because I was bored. Quite the opposite. I was fully immersed in their world, savoring the details and sitting in their story.

I adored every single character introduced here, and I would absolutely LOVE another book with them (even though, sadly, this is a standalone… but hey, that can always change 👀).

At the start, I found myself wanting more about the main characters’ pasts, but by the end, I realized what was given was exactly enough. Any more would’ve dragged the story out unnecessarily and added fluff that didn’t need to be there.

Now I’m instantly tempted to go back, reread Divine Rivals, and just live in this universe all over again.

Rebecca Ross does it again, and this may be my favorite of hers yet. I didn't think anything could beat her Elements of Cadence duology, but this one might. The story is simultaneously grand and simple, leaving me thinking deeply about both the depth of existence and the beautiful ordinariness of everyday life. The suspense is thrilling, the love story is perfect, and the ending is satisfying. She writes strong, soft male characters so well, and her ability to convey a sense of yearning is incredible. This is my first 5 star read in a while!

I was so happy to be able to read this as an ARC. Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows is one of my all time favorites and the love story of Iris and Roman is a magical one! I need to admit something here. I wanted to read this book because I love Rebecca’s writing. I didn’t realize at first that this story tied into Divine Rivals. I laugh now because I was reading it and it hit me when I heard Dacre’s name and then Enva. I was already invested in the story of Matilda and Vincent, along with Bade and Adria but when the realization hit, it brought it all full circle. Th story of the realms and the magic and the love that transcends all of that was just beautiful!

If you loved Divine Rivals, this is a must read. If you haven’t read it yet, read this and then immediately pick up Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows!

Can’t wait to buy the prettiest edition of the book!

“True love is more divine, than any ruthless god.”

Wild Reverence, for those who have read Divine Rivals, takes place prior to the duology. It follows the story of a goddess Matilda and a mortal boy, Vincent. Matilda is named the herald of the gods, a messenger who can freely travel through all realms. She finds herself having to hide an important secret from those including her allies to ensure her survival.

Vincent begins having dreams about her though they have never met. Matilda visits him in his dreams and begins to form a bond with him. Until things in her realm become risky and she flees. During this time, Vincent writes a prayer to Matilda, begging her for help, that ultimately goes unanswered. Thirteen years pass, Vincent has long forgotten Matilda and Matilda needs to give Vincent a letter, she finds him in the mortal realm to give it to him before it is too late—destined to find each other beyond his dream world. The book ends up taking off from here!

I really came to adore the relationship between Matilda and Vincent. It’s another almost “fated love” dynamic which is one of my favorite tropes. Their relationship really begins to blossom after the letter but it doesn’t come without its own trials.

I also really enjoyed the unique magic and hierarchy system. Essentially, when a god is born, a new constellation appears in the sky. It’s split up into three tiers, low, middle, and high court. The amount of points in the constellation, is where you ultimately end up in the hierarchy of the gods. The higher the points, the higher the rank. However, loopholes exist in this system that allow gods to push themselves up in the courts. A little modern day politics of ‘playing the system’ for an advantage.

Ultimately, I think Rebecca did such a great job bringing us back into this world and in such a different way—showing us so much more about the lives (and in my opinion humanizing them a bit from what we initially portray them as) and backstories of the divine, a few that we already know, and lots of new names we had yet to learn of. Bias because I loved the Letters of Enchantment but I would immediately recommend. If you’re a fantasy lover, you will enjoy this and if you’re a romance lover, there is plenty of that.

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

“We were doomed, she and I. One day, I would perish, and she would live on, endless as the stars.”

✉️ Invisible String
✉️ Immortal x Mortal
✉️ Found Family
✉️ Love Letters

Rebecca Ross, my dear you’ve done it again. You’ve bottled a bit of magic within your words and unleashed it on the page. The writing is stunningly beautiful with a sharp bite of emotion.

Wild Reverence felt like a love letter to Greek/Roman Mythology. It drew inspiration while creating something completely new. I loved learning more about the magic system and the dynamic of both the Skywards and Underlings. As a lover of Divine Rivals, it was compelling to read more about the history of the gods.

I LOVED Matilda as a character. As an audience, we watched her transform from a meek, god-like child, unable to protect herself when tragedy struck, to a strong and clever goddess. It was a pleasure to read about her growth into her power and herself.

An unlikely pairing that I enjoyed was Matilda and Bade-the God of War. Following a debt incurred to Matilda's mother, Bade was forced to extend a salt-sworn bond to Matilda, creating an alliance to shield her from harm-regardless of the damage to himself . The gruff deity transformed into a deeply cherished companion, a relationship I greatly appreciated.

Now, to the romance, I love a man who yearns. And let me tell you, Vincent is a yearner. From the very first time he glimpsed Matilda in a dream, his soul yearned for her. Their fates were so intricately intertwined that not even Death herself could interfere. And I admired that he recognized, as a Herald of the Gods, that he could never restrain her and would never attempt to do so. He was destined to await her return, regardless of the duration.

If you’re a fan of Divine Rivals, you’ll love this- especially the epilogue ;)

Thank you to NetGalley, Saturday Books, and Rebecca Ross for the opportunity to preview this book. I enjoyed every minute of it ❤️

This was exquisite. I really enjoyed Divine Rivals, but Ruthless Vows was a bit of a let down for me, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with Wild Reverence, but was excited to find out. In my opinion, this book absolutely delivered.

I really enjoy the way Rebecca Ross writes - she’s great at writing really beautiful prose without it feeling excessive or unwieldy, and Wild Reverence was no exception. The romance and yearning and love letter(s) in this are perfection and really capture what I enjoyed about the Divine Rivals relationship while still feeling fresh and standing on its own. The beginning was slightly slow, and I struggled at first to keep up with things (was I lost because it was all new to me, or were there things I’d forgotten from the original series that would be helpful context clues?), but the story really settled into itself pretty quickly and once I wrapped my head around how the gods’ magic worked and the dynamics of the world, this book was a breeze to read and I didn’t want to put it down.

I want to also how well fleshed out so many of the side characters are - I truly hated Warin and adored Bade, I wanted to see more of the sibling dynamic between Fate and Death, and I was very invested in the survival of multiple side characters in the war.

I would say this book is perfect for readers who loved and adored the magic (both literal and figurative) of Letters of Enchantment, but this book absolutely stands on its own as well. While it is tagged as “New Adult”, this addition to the series feels a bit more mature and developed than its predecessors, which I really appreciated. I would give it a 4.5/5, rounded up to 5!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the ARC copy.
This book had a slower start, lots of world and god building. About halfway through it became more interesting. I was confused and overwhelmed at times. Needed a little more tension and romance for me too. Overall a good read. Just needed some shortening and romance tweaks.

This book. Good lord. I was so stressed out for most of the book and preparing myself for a tragic ending. Since the story is set in the Divine Rivals universe as a prologue I think it fills in some gaps of the world I had been missing while reading DR. Plus that epilogue? Get out of here. The writing is so beautiful and poetic just like DR.

I mean, “You hold on to her. 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?”

Thank you to netgalley and st. martin’s press for the advanced readers copy! I will be yelling from the rooftops about this.