If you only read one book this year, let it be this one! Like Divine Rivals, this is up there as one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. This is an emotional masterpiece.

“For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love.”

The story follows Matilda who is a young goddess who goes between realms delivering messages and letters. She meets a mortal boy, Vincent, through his dreams. Years later, she takes on a quest from Death to deliver a letter to mortal who is doomed to die. As the fates have it, this mortal is Vincent who she does not want to die, and instead chooses to help aid him. The rest I’ll let you read on your own.

Just know this is poetic, beautiful, and emotional. You are going to want to have some tissues ready. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a while.

That epilogue? Perfection! If you have read Divine Rivals, this interconnects the stories PERFECTLY.

There is for you if you love
✨ Divine Rivals
✨ True yearning and longing
✨ Goddess x mortal
✨ Great Twists
✨ Lyrical and magical writing
✨ Political intrigue with the Gods and mortals both
✨ Emotional writing that will likely make you sob 😭
✨ Characters with so much depth
✨ Amazing found family with some of the characters

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Saturday Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

unfortunately this is my third time trying to get into this book and i just cant find the connection with the story/writing. i’ve only done this authors duology and while i didnt dislike it i also didnt love them, so i knew that this story could go either way for me and unfortunately it did not go my way but you win some you lose some.

i feel like a lot of people will end up loving this story, especially those that love rebecca’s writing, however for me when i read these i feel like theres some invisible word count that is trying to be reached, there are SO many words while next to nothing is happening.

upon release i will be giving this another shot eventually through the audio book as thats how i did the letters of enchantment duology and it may help my case!

I was not sure going into this book if I would like this. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!! I love stories that take us as such a fragile age and they grow with us and this story delivered on this. I loved the interesting dynamic of the magic system and characters. There is Romance but it is definitely a “subplot” for most of the book. I enjoyed the love story between Matilda and Vincent. My heart ached thinking that the main characters were doomed to not have their chance. I loved that there was closure between many of the characters.

The gods are definitely something to behold. I would have loved to know more about some of the gods. There was one in particular that I did not feel like we learned enough about. This god was kind of like the “bad guy” at some points but I wanted to really know the “Why” behind it.

The FMC definitely developed rather nicely and I loved how she grew into such a fine goddess.

Also, the little tid bit in the Epilogue about the “typewriters” made so much sense to me! So thank you to the author! If you know you know ❤️

First - Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced readers copy!

Now...
Oh. My. Gosh. Can I give this 10 stars?

Rebecca Ross's writing in Wild Reverence echoes the style of A River Enchanted, but it feels more refined here. It is lyrical without dragging, immersive without overreaching. The imagery is stunning and brought the world vividly to life in my head.

Her tone fits this story beautifully. It’s reverent, emotional, and honest. She managed to capture how all of us feel at some point in our lives, and remind us that we deserve love through Matilda and Vincent's story.

Now I’m just hoping she writes another book set in this world. I’d return in a heartbeat!

Unexpectedly everything I needed out of a prequel! I went into this blind and although it was slow in the beginning, I couldnt put it down! It was immersive, a beautiful blend of a river enchanted and divine rivals best parts. It was mythical/fairie esque with a mix of war. The romance was so soft but solid at the same time. It was mainly character driven but i appreciated the strong plot points following Matilda’s life. I loved this and want to reread it when it comes out

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy! I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story was absolutely beautiful. I already loved Divine Rivals, so returning to this world—especially with more focus on the gods—was such a treat. Matilda’s journey as a growing goddess and everything she endured was heartbreaking but powerful. I’m a sucker for a strong, resilient FMC, and Matilda’s quiet strength really stayed with me. I also loved how her life remained deeply connected with Vincent’s, even as time and fate pulled them apart. Their relationship had such a timeless, soul-deep quality to it. And I adored the sweet father-daughter bond between Matilda and Bade.

Rebecca Ross delivers another emotional, beautifully written story. A perfect ending with the final nod to history through the typewriter enchantment—such a lovely full-circle moment.

3.5/5 ⭐️ Divine rivals was my favourite book I read last year, so when I found out there was another book set in the same world, by the same genius author, I frothed at the mouth. And when I got the arc for it? Screamed with joy into the void.

However.

While I did enjoy this book, it did not nearly meet my expectations— perhaps that’s my fault for expecting so much from it due to my love for DR.

I have to say, if the god-lore in DR and RV were your favourite parts of those books, you may like this story more than I did. While it does not cover the same storyline as what we learned about in DR and RV, the general style of god-politics were more centred in this story than DV.

I do need to stop comparing Wild Reverence to Divine Rivals. While set in the same world, these two books could not be more different. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but I found my expectations going in to this book really influenced my enjoyment of it.

I found myself disliking Matilda, and I think it’s because she is so closed off and distant. I understand that’s the point, she was raised that way in order to protect herself, but it made for a character that I disagreed with so much of what she did and was annoyed by her a lot.

The romance was extremely insta-love. I understand it spanned years and years, but somehow these two characters became so infatuated with each other after their first interaction. I found myself not really rooting for them until the very end because I wasn’t convinced of their “love”— it more felt like Vincent was in love with the goddess and Matilda felt the need to protect him.

I think I would have enjoyed this book SLIGHTLY more if I had have read it all in a short amount of time; I put it down for about two months because I really wasn’t feeling it, and that made me forget a lot of small details. That’s on me! But also, this book is detail-dense and takes brain power to fully comprehend haha.

All that being said, I have to admit, Rebecca Ross is a MASTERFUL writer. Her prose is so deliberate and beautiful, sometimes too so haha. Each word is chosen with purpose. Yes it gets flowery sometimes, but emotions are palpable and descriptions are vivid, and what more can I ask from a writer???

The end, like the last 50ish pages had me captivated, and I really felt it pick up. I liked the ending, though the pages right before the epilogue could have been fleshed out a bit more.

Speaking of the epilogue…. AHHHHH!!! LOVED that epilogue!!! No spoilers here, just a great ending.

Overall, I think it had too high of expectations for this book going into it which ruined my reading experiences. I do think it’s worth the read, just don’t expect divine rivals from it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Ross and St Martin’s Press (Saturday Books) for allowing me to read this book early. All opinions are my own.

I'm so honored to have been able to read this ARC through NetGalley and special thanks to Rebecca Ross as well!

This is how you write a prequel. Plain and simple, I don't think it gets any better than this. I have loved being a part of this world since I first read Iris and Roman's story in Divine Rivals (I still need to read Ruthless Vows...don't come for me).

If you don't already have a copy of Wild Reverence on pre-order, I highly suggest you get one now. Rebecca Ross has done a phenomenal job creating an immersive environment for her readers once again. I could feel the chill brought to the air by the Underling creatures, feel the heartbreak and conflict of each character as they faced trials testing their strength. The sharp taste of betrayal on my tongue and the weight of a shield on my arm was familiar as every scene and emotion was so vividly painted in my mind while I read, and honestly is still very vivid even though I finished this read back in April and type this review at the end of June.

I long to return to Wyndrift and revisit Vincent and Matilda. Everyone needs to find their inner strength like Matilda and "Everyone needs a Vincent of Beckett in their lives." I loved watching the two of them grow together and apart in addition to a few other characters you're sure to grow just as fond of (you'll know who I'm talking about).

Let's not forget Rebecca's amazing job of connecting this back to the world of Divine Rivals at the very end so readers can seamlessly enjoy where one tale ends and the next begins.

Be prepared for longing, anger, sadness, and resolution in this read. I swooned, I foamed at the mouth over lines that I can't quote yet and much like one of the characters I had no idea what to do with my feelings (about the book). This book made me want to rewind time to continually live in the good while going through the bad, made me cry due to a special connection to some meaningful quotes, made me realize Rebecca must have a thing about wardrobes (at least for these three books), and I spent the "entire epilogue internally screaming in excitement, with tears welling in my eyes, and goosebumps littering my arms." What a wonderful, wonderful book. Brava.

I think this has hands down been my favorite read of 2025 so far, it definitely has a permanent place on my shelf and I will be revisiting it often. I've started tying more songs to my reads and if this had a song to describe the book it would be i saw you in a dream by The Japanese House. Give it a listen and once you read you'll see what I mean.

This story really had the vibe of an ancient myth, like it was story that had been passed down and warped and should be taught to young kids learning about religious history. I was fascinated and absolutely couldn't put the book down. Rebecca Ross has again demonstrated why she is an auto buy author for me!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a review copy

MY. HEART.
I will be thinking about this story for ages to come - like a comfort letter you stash away and reread all the time because it reminds you of what’s beautiful and important in this life.

Rebecca Ross is my all time favorite storyteller. The way she weaves words into deep, meaningful, immersive tales is unmatched. She has OUTDONE herself with this incredible story of Matilda and Vincent. I hold this story with wild reverence!

It is really hard to talk about my favorite parts of this book without any spoilers, so I will be as vague as possible, but trust me - there is endless gold to be found throughout every single part. I absolutely LOVED the Skyward, Underling, and mortal worlds - the gods and their magic system, the constellations and power, the fraught relationships between mortal and divine. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these worlds through following Matilda’s journey - from birth to coming into her full power as a goddess. The love, the betrayal, the growth… every second of it had me rooting deeply for Matilda.

Sweet Vincent of Wyndrift, connected to Matilda through fate, dreams, nightmares, love, war, hope… I’m so here for a romantic MMC who is steady, kind, faithful, patient, letting his (literal) goddess shine and live the life set before her. He supported her through every challenge, faith unwavering.

Finally, a cast of side characters that will forever be ingrained deep into my heart- Bade, Adria, Enva, Zenia, Rowena, Orphic… Bade & Matilda’s story is perhaps one of my fav storylines ever. HEART WRENCHING, make me cry at the airport type of deep love and sorrow.

And… this epilogue!!! Make my favorite series my even favoriter 😭😭😭

Wild Reverence is an absolutely enchanting, emotional ride that pulled me into Rebecca Ross’s mythic world and didn’t let go. Matilda, a young goddess with messenger magic, and Vincent, a mortal lord, share this slow‑burn, dream‑woven romance set against a vividly built realm of gods and power struggles. The writing is lush, poetic, and heartbreaking—the kind of story that really sticks with you. It takes its time—especially in the middle—but once those emotional threads start untangling, it’s deeply satisfying. A lovely standalone that also weaves into the Divine Rivals universe—perfect for fans of romantasy and emotional slow-burns.

I sobbed. Cried, screamed, absolutely unwell. I already want to go back and reread the whole thing. If you loved Divine Rivals and are craving more lore—especially about the gods—this is a must-read. The ending was stunning and hit every single emotion. It tied into Divine Rivals so beautifully, at least in my opinion.

THIS BOOK! OMG I absolutely loved it. Rebecca’s prose is nothing short of enchanting and absolutely drenched in magic. From the first page, I was completely absorbed. Stepping back into the Divine Rivals world felt like coming home. But it also reframed the whole series in a powerful new way. I can’t stress this enough: go in completely blind!

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross is a standalone prequel to Divine Rivals that follows Matilda, a goddess and Vincent, a mortal as their paths cross in unexpected ways.

This one is a tough one for me. I love Rebecca Ross’ writing and her character work. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year but I found myself never quite getting invested in this book. The plot doesn’t really start until the 30% mark. The beginning up to that point is a lot of dense world building that was hard to follow. Once the actual plot started, I did find myself enjoying it more. I liked both main characters but I never felt any chemistry between them.

The last part of this book was great! Everything started to come together in a satisfying way and I was pleased with how it wrapped up. It was just getting to that part that was kind of a drag. I think I was just expecting something different. I’m happy to see that a lot of other reviewers are really enjoying this one!

i am in awe !!!!!

this books left me speechless. my FAVORITE rebecca ross to date !!!! the way she build everything up???? the way all the pieces came together??? she had me on the edge of my seat, stressed, crying and terrified. i had no idea what was going to happen but boy was i invested. I NEEDED TO KNOW. i could not put it down (or at least didn't want to) in the last 25%. not only did she write an amazing book with insane plot twists, but she wrote one of the sweetest most hopeful romances!!!!

i love matilda & vincent both so so so so much !!! matilda is an icon and i want to be her when i grow up. vincent is THE type of man everyone wants !!!! and the way they love each other ???? stop 😭

absolutely loved the insight we got into the magic & the gods of the divine rivals world !! it was fascinating! and rebecca did such an amazing job giving us something brand new in a world we love dearly. 100% of my favorite books of the year !!!!

thank you so much Saturday Books & Netgalley for the arc! this s my honest review.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Saturday Books, and Netgalley for the eARC!

5 ⭐️'s

WOW. I am literally obsessed. This is one of those books I would love to be able to give infinity stars to!

The writing in true Rebecca Ross fashion, is absolutely stunning & lyrical. The entire storyline flowed so beautifully and was paced perfectly.

I loved learning about Matilda's story and also some of the other gods and goddesses. I was enchanted the whole time!

Now, let me take a moment to talk about the yearning and longing in this book?! it was truly EVERYTHING to me. Matilda & Vincent were so wholly devoted to one another and I adored their relationship.

I also loved Matilda and Bade's relationship too, literally was crying at the end over it!!

The epilogue was absolutely perfect, especially for fans of the Letters of Enchantment series!

I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know!

This is one of those books where I'll accept the message it's sharing, but I'm not going to be happy about it.

I really enjoyed Divine Rivals, so when I saw Wild Reverence on Netgalley, I knew I had to snag it. It's been about a year and a half since I read the Letters of Enchantment duology, and I decided not to refresh myself before diving into this book. Luckily, it's a standalone, and even though it takes place in the same world as Divine Rivals, I didn't think there were too many connections (I might have missed some more subtle parallels because it's been a while since I read the initial duology). Wild Reverence falls more on the new adult/adult side of romantasy, and I would almost consider it "cozy" in terms of vibes.

The plot is almost bildungsroman-esque as we follow Matilda, a young goddess, through her childhood and onward. It's dual POV, so we also get the story of a young lord named Vincent, but he occupies probably 35% of the page time compared to Matilda. I don't really know how to explain the plot because it doesn't really start until a third of the way into the novel, and even then, the pacing is incredibly slow. There's a bit of tension toward the end where the fates of some characters feel more uncertain, but for most of the story, there isn't much question about their survival. I will admit that I'm not the biggest fan of romantasy (I didn't mind the romance in Divine Rivals, which is why I picked this one up), so the fact that the romance plot overwhelmingly dominated the story might've been some of the reason I was bored at times. I also wasn't 100% happy with the ending, but I acknowledge its thematic relevance, and I like the message, if not the execution. The story itself is still enjoyable, and I liked the prose, but it was very long and drawn out.

For being a romantasy, I really didn't think the characters had much chemistry in this book. Matilda is a goddess and a herald at that. She delivers letters between the realms, meaning she gets exposure to the mortal realm. Her background was interesting, and I liked her personality (her compassion, especially). Vincent was fine; he didn't really have much of a personality beyond his love for Matilda and his lack of desire to rule. I think they had a lot of potential (childhood friends to lovers and all that), but they spend so much time apart that it's hard to see any chemistry between them. They're relationship is also a bit instalove-y, and despite the numerous tropes involved in their relationship, it just wasn't super appealing to me. I liked the complexity of the other gods, especially Matilda's father and Bade. I've seen many other reviews name Bade their favorite character, and I'm inclined to agree. His story was more unique (the god of war and his various forms of love), so I think that's why he's appealing.

I did enjoy Wild Reverence and I think my lower rating is definitely in the minority. I intend to reread it in the future when I have more patience for slow-moving romance plots, but I think fans of V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Andrea Stewart's The Gods Below, and the original Letters of Enchantment duology will love this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.75/5

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but I think this one may be my favorite of the three. I really liked getting to know the god side of the story, and I found the complicated rules of the immortal realms compelling and intricate. Without giving away any details, everything related to perceptions of death in this book had me completely riveted. I loved the way the writer wove together popular mythology with a more creative take on the cruelty of gods and their meddling in mortal lives. I also appreciated getting the backstory on these magical typewriters!

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

I sadly ended up not finishing this one at 52%. It had such a slow start and I honestly just didn't know where the story was heading. I was incredibly bored and I tried taking a break and returning to the book after a bit to get back into it and wasn't able to. I love other books by this author and I am really upset that I just did not enjoy this one.

4 stars (SPOILER FREE)
Wild Reverence was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I’m a huge fan of Rebecca Ross’ books, particularly the Letters of Enchantment duology and I was excited to step back into this world. Set hundreds of years before Divine Rivals, Wild Reverence follows Matilda, a young goddess with messenger magic and Vincent, a mortal who dreams of Matilda despite never having met her.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book. I’m a huge fan of Rebecca’s lyrical writing style (as found in Divine Rivals and Elements of Cadence series). I enjoyed learning more about the worlds of the gods. However it did take a while to figure out who they all were, especially at the beginning (luckily a list is provided at the start!). There is a LOT of world building at the start which I struggled. At times the pacing was also a little slow and I found my attention drifting.

The story is mostly told from Matilda’s POV. She is a great FMC and I appreciated seeing her back story at the start of the book as it helped explain her character development throughout the book. We do get Vincent’s POV but I feel like I never really connected to his character - I think this then led me to think their romance could have been stronger. Matilda had stronger (non romantic) connections with other characters and although I could see the bond between Matilda and Vincent, their romance did not overwhelm me like Iris and Roman’s.

Finally, I wish we had seen a bit more of the world of the gods and their power dynamics, particularly between Enva and Dacre. Although we see both the Underling and Skyward realms, most of the book is set in the mortal world following Matilda and Vincent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.