This was my most anticipated read of the year and I was blown away!

This book was beautifully written and I adored the characters. Rebecca Ross never fails to deliver with her whimsical writing style that whisks away the reader to whatever magical world she’s created.

This trip back into the world of the Letters of Enchantment duology was the perfect prequel story. While readers get to see bits of Enva and Dacre’s story dispersed throughout the book, Mathilda and Vincent’s story is front and center and will play a surprising role in the Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows books. There are also plenty of references to the original duology that readers are going to love!

I loved the romance between Mathilda and Vincent. The level of pining in this book is spectacular! If you loved Iris and Roman, you are going to love Mathilda and Vincent!

Wild Reverence is a wonderful addition to the world of The Letters of Enchantment! I can’t wait to fangirl over this book with everyone

This story was so lovely.

Rebecca Ross is really great at getting the reader immersed into her worlds. I had no problem imagining where we were in the story, or what the landscape/characters looked like. I loved the different feelings I would get when certain characters came onto the page, whether it was good or bad! I loved how you couldn't quiet trust any one god/goddess consistently, and how making a bargain could be tricky.

Everything Matilda went through in her life, especially navigating her relationship with Vincent was so interesting to me. I loved how much time was spanned in this story. We see them grow from children into adults, and see how their lives were shaped before they reconnected. As much as I loved Matilda's relationship with Vincent, I loved hers with Bade nearly as much. I definitely cried a few times reading this book!

This is a difficult review to write because I’m not sure how to do it justice. Simply put, Wild Reverence exceeded all expectations I had as the newest installment of the Letters of Enchantment series.

We follow the story of a young goddess Matilda from her birth then throughout adolescence and adulthood. She’s taught to be fierce and feared, to hide her weaknesses and hone her strengths, but it’s clear from the start that she has quite a soft spot for mortals even though she is raised as an Underling. She’s drawn to a mortal, Vincent, and their connection is a mystery that slowly unravels throughout the book. As in Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross writes with such eloquence and the care and longing felt between Matilda and Vincent made me feel the same giddiness as with Iris and Roman. I was constantly rooting for them and waiting to see how their relationship would develop. The dual POV was done well but I loved that it was still a story that centered Matilda rather than the two lovers equally.

Wild Reverence also comes full circle as the backstory for the events that occur in Divine Rivals and its sequel Ruthless Vows. I remember there being a lot of criticism around Ruthless Vows and its focus on the politics of the gods and the war being a bit confusing, but Rebecca Ross absolutely knocks it out of the park with the world building in Wild Reverence. I loved how the new concepts of magic and explanations of conflict between Skywards and Underlings were introduced in a way that made sense for her previous works.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a novel where I felt that there were true stakes, where I felt anxious for characters, and where I really felt invested in their journey. Matilda wasn’t perfect, her flaws and weaknesses frequently highlighted, but she was such a fun protagonist to follow and root for. I’m very glad to have been able to read her story in advance and I’m so looking forward to the rest of the world getting to meet her soon.

5 stars all around ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

⭐️Second chance Romance
☁️Slow burn
⭐️Dual POV
☁️Unique magic system

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the arc! I can’t believe I got to read an advance copy of Wild Reverence!

I loved this story! Each character has their own unique voice & part they play & I loved getting to know them through this book. While a prequel in a sense, Wild Reverence takes place in its own world centuries before the one we’re introduced to in Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows.

On the surface, it’s a book about gods & mortals with each group in their predetermined boxes. But looking deeper, it’s a story of transformation & belief & love that perseveres, love that conquers. It’s not a quick or easy journey for the characters— or me, as I was on that emotional roller coaster right there with em.

WR was well written & engaging. I connected with the characters & was quickly immersed in the story. Overall, I give this 4.5 🌟

Rebecca Ross has a way of writing that draws you into another world completely, and I devoured this 600 page book in no time. I can’t tell you how much I loved this book!

I loved that Matilda thought things through before taking any action, and always listened to her intuition. Her goodness shone through in all of the choices that she made, and I loved how noble she was in difficult situations.

I loved Vincent’s steadfastness and courage, and Bade had my heart also. There was just so much to love about this epic story. I need more books like this!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

As a person who fell instantly in love with Divine Rivals, this book really solidified my love for this world and the characters Rebecca Ross creates. This has a good balance of romance and fantasy where one doesn’t take over the other.

I’m so thankful have received this eARC and will be recommending to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is absolutely Rebecca Ross’s best work! It took me a little bit to get into it. There’s some world-building that has to be done, even if you’ve read the Divine Rivals series. But once I got past that, it had me hooked! It was a beautiful love story. And by love story I don’t just mean romantic love. The family dynamics, both born and found were enough to make your heart full. The wonderful part of this story is watching the FMC become who she was always meant to be – following along with her as she embraces her power, her humanity, her emotions, and the people she loves.

Loved this book! And the epilogue was the cherry on top!

Rebecca Ross makes me want to be in love. Her writing has that sort of magic—the way she creates characters with full lives and ambitions and purposes, and suddenly love happens upon them and weaves itself into their essences, and it seamlessly becomes a part of their whole selves. Every time I read a book by her, I'm struck by it—and Wild Reverence is no exception.

Wild Reverence—which takes place in the same universe as the beloved Letters of Enchantment duology—follows Matilda, a young goddess finding her way amidst the split between gods of different realms. No one is to be entirely trusted, and she must forge her own path forward as her identity becomes more and more clear. Amidst the politics of her fellow gods, she becomes entangled with the life of Vincent of Beckett—a boy she first meets and befriends in his dreams, and later in reality upon finding him as a lord who has hardened over the years.

I can't understate the love I had for this book. Ross is a master at creating intricate narratives that still flow like nature for the reader, introducing a complex engaging web of gods and humans and letter every character breathe life into the story. The characters lead the plot as opposed to vice versa—my preferred style of novel—and it's easy to become attached to each of them, as grand or little page time as they might have. The author does a lot with a little—a personal favorite minor character for me was Vincent's younger brother, who was not afforded a ton of plot but endeared himself to me immediately when he did.

To many, the core of this story might lie in the romance—and to be clear, it's a stunning one. The way Vincent and Matilda, despite being from entirely different lives, rolled up into a doomed childhood friends to lovers narrative was perfect for me. I'm always a champion of a friends to lovers trope—as someone who fully believes that the core of love is friendship—and the way this one was tackled was so unique, with Vincent's past trauma and feelings of abandonment, and Matilda's sense of duty and awareness of her place in the world. Both characters had their own arcs that were fully fleshed out in the story that went alongside them falling in love—something that's becoming rarer and rarer these days.

This is all to say that, for me, Matilda's journey and her place among the gods was truly the heart of this tale. In particular, her relationship with Bade, the god of war, moved me so deeply. I'm a sucker for a "found father" plot—but Bade and Matilda's relationship broke the mould, with two difficult people who loved each other so dearly—and often couldn't believe the poignancy of that love.

Ross also finds ease in the way she ties the narrative of this book to the Letters of Enchantment duology. It would have been easy for the connections to become heavy handed—there are characters introduced in this novel that will be familiar to readers of the duology—but instead, the author allowed the stories to breathe on their own while still maintaining that connective tissue. As an early adopter to Divine Rivals, I was thrilled when every so often, I'd turn a page and realize just what I'd read and how it came back to the story I already loved.

It's so easy for an author to just continue to write in a popular universe because they know people will read it—Rebecca Ross doesn't do that for a moment. Every page of this book feels earnest, and earned—you can tell that Matilda's story is one she was aching to tell, and not only does it flesh out the books that chronologically come after it, but it also stands alone as a stunning character study, romance, and fantasy tale for the ages.

For the last few years I have collected many of Rebecca Ross’ titles. They decorate my shelves so beautifully– and yet I have never read any of her works. Until now. Until Wild Reverence. I have so longed to read her works and for this to be my introduction (finally!) feels so fitting. For this is the story that begins long before the Letters of Enchantment duology. This is what sparks the magic, and oh, how magical it is. A beautiful read full of longing, full of yearning, full of hope. Wild Reverence is a revelation that explores the strength and sacrifice of love.

This is a star-crossed romance between Matilda and Vincent. Matilda is a young goddess of both the under realm and Skyward realm. A messenger for the realms. Always in between without one true constant– until Vincent. Vincent is a mortal man who has lost much in life and is now being looked to lead his people. Theirs is a love story that is a series of moments. Moments stolen in childhood dreams to moments discovered in adulthood. A love that is quickly being pushed and pulled by external and internal forces, and yet our lovers continue to fight for one another.

And to wait for one another. Even as time dwindles for one, and time is unending for another. And what love can be truer than one built on patience and belief?

The way this narrative is written is so captivating and romantic. And I don’t mean that just in terms of the central love story, but in simply the manner of writing. The romance of the scenery, even when at times it gives chills or cries. The way the world-building evolves made for such exquisite imagery as I read along. Whether its the exploration between the realms, the wonder of what may lie behind the mists, or the simple manner in travel over wind. I longed for it all. A recurrent theme in this work: longing, longing, longing. And then of course we have our actual romance. But before I get to our stars, allow me to beg the weaver of such romantic words, Rebecca Ross, to give us a Bade and Adria story! I would absolutely, positively, ever-so-surely read a story from their POVs. I came to care so profoundly about them, which meant I came to worry so much about them. The stress they gave! Just as stressed as became for Matilda and Vincent.

So let’s get to it. To them. To Matilda and Vincent. I adored each of their individual journeys. We see their growth over the spanning years. How they change as they come into their agency and power. Matilda is the herald. The messenger of the divines and mortals. And it puts her in such a unique (and precarious) position as she comes to learn of both people. She witnesses the cruelty of god and man, but also the generosity and kindness of both. Matilda watches and learns both, for curiosity is one of her great strengths. Which leads her to those dreams of Vincents, until it eventually leads her to the man himself. Vincent is a boy who grows with losses, losing his family until he must be the one who leads all who remain. To lead his people. He goes from a boy with great hope, who holds tightly to the image and friendship a little redhead girl gives him in his greatest moments of anguish. Until she disappears, and so does his softness and hope. Becoming a man who fears hope in the face of loss and war. Until the girl becomes a woman, no, a goddess, and returns. And everything changes. One of the many things I loved of the relationship between Matilda and Vincent is how being with one another broadens their own personal perspectives. They learn so much from one another. Vincent may not necessarily become a devout of the divines, but through Matilda sees their capability to value humanity. And through Vincent, Matilda learns perhaps the most devastatingly powerful lesson, that even a god can love.

There were moments I wished the plot moved around a bit more quickly, or maybe it was just more page time between Matilda and Vincent I yearned for. But the yearning is present *because* they are not always together, but they remain ever so present on each other’s minds. That is the strength of their connection. Their moments in the flesh may seem fleeting, but the way they impact each other’s souls is so deeply, in such an indelible way. It builds resolve, it reconciles sacrifices, and it gifts hope.

Wild Reverence is an incredibly special and memorable journey. It is an exercise of the heart– for my heart bled in tears, soared in swoons, and stopped in dread. In which order? Well, you’ll have to read to find out!

Thank you to Saturday Books, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary read, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Mary's Press and Rebecca Ross for sharing this ARC with me for my honest thoughts.
Rebecca Ross's story telling just draws you in. Her world building and character building are chef's kiss.
Matilda and Vincent's love story is a slow-burn poetic masterpiece. I fell in love with both of them. They are a couple totally worth rooting for.
This story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A big plus, you don't have to read the previous to enjoy this story.
If you love a fabulous magical Romantasy, then this book is for you. I highly recommend, you run don't walk, to get your hands on it. I promise, you won't regret it.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t swoon over it! I think there was a lot going on with sub-plots that made it hard for me to follow the main point. With that being said, it came together at the end and I liked it! The epilogue gave me CHILLS.

The romance was really magical to me. It’s a lovely slow-burn romance with tension to cut ice!

I have not read the Letters of Enchantment duology, but I did really enjoy Ross’s writing style and worldbuilding, so I definitely plan to read that! Reading the prequel makes me excited to read the others, but I do like that this can be read as a stand-alone!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rebecca Ross for providing me with a free eARC, and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

Rebecca Ross is one of my favorite authors, so I went into Wild Reverence with pretty high expectations. Her writing is as gorgeous and lyrical as ever, and I really loved the idea of a young goddess trying to survive in this dangerous, power-hungry world. The setting was vivid, and there were moments that reminded me why I love her books so much.

But honestly… this one just didn’t click for me. The world felt too similar to Greek mythology, to the point where it started to feel a bit overdone. The romance had potential, but it didn’t have enough time to really build that tension and angst I wanted—it just felt rushed. And the plot kept bouncing from one place to another without tying things up, so it never fully pulled me in.

Still glad I read it, but it didn’t hit me the way her other books have.

3.5 stars
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book.

I was incredibly excited to go back to the Letters of Enchantment universe. The other installments in this series are some of my favorite books of all time, but unfortunately this one didn’t feel compelling to me until the last 15% of the book.

Things I loved: this reads like a fairytale or myth of old, and features the author’s signature style of prose. The magic system was unique and refreshing. The epilogue was fantastic and gave Letters of Enchantment fans exactly what we came here for, finally.

Things I didn’t love: I felt the pacing was way off in this story. There are multiple huge time jumps where we skip chunks of the characters lives - I felt that some of them made sense and some did not. The story felt repetitive at times and I struggled to stay connected to it throughout.

This featured lots of great lore to add to the Letters of Enchantment universe, but overall I did not find the story gripping until the very end.

Rebecca Ross just has such a beautiful way of writing. With words she's able to evoke such feeling that there were many moments in reading this where I could feel the sting of tears or had to swallow past the lump in my throat. This also very much gives Circe vibes it feels that epic.

Set in the same world as the Letters of Enchantment duology, this is a prequel set in the equivalent of the world's medieval period, and all of the Gods - both Underling and Skyward - still live. The book begins from the moment of Matilda's birth, the daughter of an Underling goddess and a Skyward father. Matilda's powers are written in the stars, like the other Gods, and it is determined she will be the Herald for the Gods. We follow her as she grows up in the Underling realm. Matilda finds herself first reading about and then traveling to the dreams of a young mortal boy, Vincent, the third-born son of a Lord with a significant river estate. The book alternates from Matilda's and Vincent's perspectives and the bond they form over their youth.

When tragedy strikes Matilda, she must escape the Underling realm to find refuge with her father in the Skyward realm who doesn't know of her existence. At the same time, Vincent's uncle, Grimald, slaughters Vincent's father and older brothers and grievously wounds Vincent when he attempts to take the river estate as his own. When Matilda fails to answer Vincent's prayers and goes radio silent for thirteen long years, Vincent grows into an irreverent young Lord. Matilda, meanwhile, grows into her powers as Herald. When her role brings her to the mortal world again, she and Vincent are finally reunited. Feeling guilty, Matilda resolves to aid Vincent when his uncle returns with an army to again attempt to take the estate as his own. Matilda offers to pose as Vincent's wife, thinking that her power as a goddess will help Vincent protect his people and fight back against his uncle. But there are other Gods involved, and Matilda's powers, and her heart, are tested.

This is such an epic story I feel like my brief summary doesn't even begin to capture everything. The story of an immortal goddess and a mortal man falling in love, you know it's going to be brutal. There's so much yearning and tenderness, especially because poor Matilda and Vincent kept being separated over and over again. You can almost feel the sense of time slipping away, the sense of urgency when you know the stakes, that Vincent has such a short time with Matilda. I loved the relationship between Matilda and Bade, the Underling god of war, not the step father but the father that stepped up. Overall this was such a beautiful story and I definitely cried (not surprising).

Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you so much SMP for the e-arc of this book!!

The Letters of Enchantment duology is my favorite of all time, so I had very high hopes for this story. I’d first like to say that it is a little confusing to publish an adult spin-off of a series that was young adult. I feel like that closes the door to people who read the original series because it was young adult. I think the genres should’ve been kept consistent personally.

Secondly, this story did have me thinking that I wish that there had been more fantasy elements in The Letters of Enchantment duology. This story was much more in depth about the gods. I think the idea of the gods as constellations with their stars was so good, and I loved that each god had their own strengths. Bade was one of my favorite characters from the beginning. It does become apparent where the story is going towards the last quarter of the book especially in terms of the connection to the original duology.

The romance in this was a slow burn and quite beautiful. There was a touch of spice as well. I always love when a love is forbidden and the theme of dreams was also really beautiful. Overall this book was stunning on its own, but I just had a couple problems with the overall picture in relation to the duology. I think Rebecca is a great writer and her flowery writing makes for some very quotable moments. I do think people who love her writing would love this book!

4.5 stars! Wild Reverence was an enchanting lyrical prose written novel that will leave you longing for more. Rebecca writes some of the most beautifully atmospheric stories. Her words feel like they’re filled with magic. They seep deep into your body and breathe life into your soul. Her words have the unique ability to transport you into a mythical world that captures your heart. The dedication in this book alone broke me.

A goddess with the power to deliver messages between realms. A boy plagued with reoccurring nightmares and the mysterious girl who saves him. Matilda and Vincent’s lives cross at a young age, and they are immediately drawn to each other. However, when Matilda is forced to leave the realm in which she grew up, her ties with Vincent disappear. As the years pass by, they almost forget about one another until one night when Matilda’s powers are called upon and she is placed in Vincent’s path once again. Matilda and Vincent fall for each other in a love that transcends all realms. However, if they wish to remain together, they must overcome every obstacle thrown at them in a world set on tearing them apart.

This was a book that leads you gradually into its depths. It starts out slowly and has you climbing higher and higher as the plot gains momentum and becomes more and more intense. The last portion of this book had my heart in a vice and led to the most exquisite ending! It’s a book filled with finding your inner strength, overcoming all odds, the depths you go to for the ones you love, heartache, and so much yearning!

I appreciated that while this book was set in the same world as the Letters of Enchantment it felt completely different from those books in terms of the plot. However, it still had the same heart and soul we fell in love with in those two books. I enjoyed learning the backstory of these Gods. I have a soft spot for the God of War! I loved the relationship he and Matilda shared. I also loved how deeply I felt the emotions in this book. The yearning I felt in this was devastating. It hurt to my very core.

This was an amazing prequel to the Letters of Enchantment duology. It really makes me want to reread those books now knowing this new information. The backstory was laid out so intricately and it made everything else make so much more sense. I’d love to have another book going into more detail about the conflict between the under realm and Skyward gods knowing now who they are and their backstories.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My review is based solely on my own opinion, and I appreciate the chance to read Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross.

Rebecca Ross has done it again! This book was everything I wanted and more. Transportive, atmospheric and romantic, I couldn't decide if I wanted to finish it to know how it ends or to read slowly and savor it. The magic system was pretty easy to pick up on and I think it's able to be read without having read the Divine Rivals duology. I think readers who have only read the Divine Rivals duology may be taken aback by the slower pacing, but I really enjoyed it. Overall, this book exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to read it again when it comes out.

Rebecca Ross does it again. This book is amazing and I loved re-entering the Letters of Enchantment world. Matilda is an FMC that I will forever root for and scream about. She is fierce and badass, but I also loved how we saw her softer side. Her character development was incredible. Loved Vincent’s character too, his love for Matilda is unmatched. Their love story and journey together is beautiful. The world that Rebecca Ross wrote in the Divine Rivals duology, and how she tied it into this book, was amazing. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. I can’t wait to tell her how much I adore this book and series at her event in a couple weeks! If you loved Divine Rivals, this is a must read, and even if you haven’t read it yet, you definitely can read this book on its own before diving into Divine Rivals. I’m actually trying to resist the urge to reread Divine Rivals to see more connections!

I opened this book without reading a single word of the synopsis, Rebecca Ross wrote it, I needed no convincing. Didn’t even realize it was a prequel and when I realized, what a great surprise.

If you haven’t read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows yet, I highly recommend starting there. The moment you see how Wild Reverence connects to those books is chef’s kiss. (I’m firmly in the “read in publication order, not chronological”.)

Wild Reverence follows the goddess Matilda as she comes of age and learns to wield her gifts, all while a mortal boy dreams of her even though they have never met. Fate, it seems, has plans for them both.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me this early copy to read and review, below are my honest thoughts:

Rebecca Ross has a way with words! Divine Rivals was beautiful—this? This is magical! Wonderful! Enchanting! This book has solidified my love for her writing, and I will read anything and everything she publishes from now on.

Wild Reverence is a sweeping romantasy set in the same divine realm as Divine Rivals, following Matilda, a young goddess of the Under Realm with messenger magic, and Vincent, a mortal river lord she first meets through dreams. Spanning years and realms, their story blends slow-burn romance, political intrigue among gods, and a fight to change a brutal world.

If you love stories with gods and humans, forbidden love, fake marriage, slow burn, and a touch of found family, this is the book for you. There’s war, intrigue, and just a hint of spice—enough for those who enjoy it, but not so much that those who don’t should shy away.

I believe this can be read before Divine Rivals if you haven’t picked that one up yet. But as someone who has read it, I found the little glimpses you get here to be pure magic. I cried.

All in all, I loved every second of this read, and I think everyone should run to buy it when it releases on September 2nd. You won’t regret it.