Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
Fantasy, romance
Pub day: September 2, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my word…. THIS BOOK! It’s set in the same world as my babies, Divine Rivals & Ruthless Vows. I thoroughly enjoyed stepping back into that world and reading more about the gods.

This story was pure ✨magic✨ It gave that same magical feeling like when I read The Letters of Enchantment Duology. I loved the world building, the beautiful writing that made me feel like I was THERE, and the love story that made my heart ache. I ate up every single world, and I couldn’t read it fast enough. I was equal parts wanting to find out how this all played out, as well as wanting it to never end.

Matilda is such a likable FMC. She was powerful, but also had the biggest heart. She and Vincent were perfect for this storyline.

And that Epilogue 🥹 it was the most beautiful, perfect ending. I don’t want to say anything else because I was actually surprised by it!

This is an absolute masterpiece, and I am SO grateful to NetGalley and Saturday Books for my advanced copy! Thank you!

4.5 but rounded up. This did make it to my very rarely assigned "Favorites" shelf.

I liked Divine Rivals a lot, Ruthless Vows was not as gripping (in my opinion). This book? It was so good I kept thinking about it between reads. I found myself discussing it with my Fantasy loving, adult son every chance I could. When I finished the last page, I told him it was a must read for him when it comes out in September.

Matilda and Vincent were such great characters. The Gods and their "ways" kept me reading. I loved the contrast of the Underworld and the Sky world. The environments may have been different, but the beings were so alike that it made them enemies. I couldn't wait to see each try to outwit the other. Some plots were a little obvious, but I looked forward to the outcome just the same. Other plots were surprises; both happy and sad.

I liked the Gods' worlds so much more than the more modern world of Divine Rivals. This could be read as a stand alone if you haven't read the duology, but it is so much more enriching if you read the previous books. There are a few details that I had wanted to know the origin of that were in the duology that were answered in this book and made me smile.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest, I really struggled with this. And not because it’s bad, because it really is so good, but because my new mom brain is too tired to keep up. Her writing makes me feel like I’m dreaming and so I have to take it in chunks. I loved the glimpses and throw backs to divine rivals. The finally tie in at the end was amazing. This book explains the gods in a way I was DYING for in the divine rivals series. Their brutal power dynamics were so well thought out. I thought that both Matilda and Vincent were written beautiful and their love story was just - ugh. It’s wonderful and dreamy and everything you want from Rebecca Ross.

**thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC of Wild Reverence**

Wild Reverence is great for romantasy lovers who enjoy an emotionally charged, myth-inspired tale. With its blend of magic, fate, and heartfelt romance, it is a great addition to Rebecca Ross’s repertoire.

Like any Rebecca Ross book this gave me so many twists and turns that I was not expecting at all!! Such amazing writing

Matilda is a young goddess that is tasked with being the messenger of the gods throughout the realms, but when a mortal boy dreams of her they are irrefutably connected and their love seems written in the stars. When their past connections through Vincent's dreams provide an opportunity for Matilda to save him, Matilda literally crashes into his room to try and save the day.

This book was beautifully written, with lyrical prose and a really unique magic system. The pacing and amount of world building was a big struggle for me for most of the book, but I think fans of Rebecca Ross will really enjoy this prequel to her beloved Letters of Enchantment duology.

3.5 Stars

Wild Reverence is a beautifully imagined fantasy with a lyrical writing style that fans of Rebecca Ross will instantly recognize. The premise—gods, dreams, and a fated connection between a mortal and a goddess—offers a rich foundation for an epic tale. Matilda, the youngest goddess with messenger magic, and Vincent, the mortal lord of the river, are compelling characters with a unique dynamic that unfolds slowly and thoughtfully.

That said, the novel occasionally struggles under the weight of its own ambition. The pacing felt uneven, especially in the middle chapters, where the plot meandered and the prose leaned heavily on repetitive similes. While the world-building is lush, it sometimes overshadowed character development and emotional depth. There were also a few inconsistencies in terminology and execution that pulled me out of the story.

Still, Ross’s talent for crafting immersive settings and poetic language shines through. Wild Reverence may not be her strongest work, but it’s a worthwhile read for those who enjoy mythic fantasy with romantic undertones and don’t mind a slower burn.

Rebecca Ross is one of the best at writing whimsical and lyrical novels without becoming too tedious to read. I absolutely loved the divine rivals series and learning more about the gods and goddesses in wild reverence was so fun! The love story between Matilda and Vincent and watching Matilda become more confident in herself were some of my favorite moments. I can’t wait to read what Ross writes next!

Such a great fantasy romance! Adored the writing and the setting, and it was so easy to fall in love with the characters. I can't wait to read more of this author's work!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy!

Let me preface with saying that I LOVED the Letters of Enchantment duology. I think I should’ve taken the time to reread Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows before jumping into this one though, because this one didn’t resonate with me as much as the original duo. I’m definitely in the mega minority here, because I’ve seen nothing but positive reviews, and I’m definitely planning to come back and reread all three books eventually. Rebecca writes such beautiful prose, at times I felt like I was reading a greek mythology retelling rather than a ya fantasy or romantasy. I also loved the ending, which perfectly sets up Divine Rivals.

RR does such a beautiful job of world building and character development - this is a fantastic standalone story but also provides some backstory to divine rivals… which was a lovely thread.

I am grateful to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book, which I would have given five stars too even if I’d had to wait!

Rebecca Ross does it again. I absolutely loved getting back into the world the Iris and Roman were in but before their time and about gods. A magical and beautiful story, I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it releases!

This book was absolutely magical and invoked the same feelings of wonder I first felt when reading Divine Rivals and Dreams Lie Beneath. Rebecca Ross’s novels are the perfect escapes with excellent world building and plot filled with tension, yearning, and magic. Matilda’s depth and development was absolutely perfect, and her story had a fulfilling end. I loved this as a prequel to Divine Rivals and now need to pick it up for a re-read. Will likely end up being my top read of the year!

💫 This is a slow-burn book okay, both in terms of romance and plot, and it absolutely deserves a patient read where the reader absorbs the intricate world building and plot twists in every chapter. I read this over the course of a week and every single minute was worth it :"")
💫 Matilda and Vincent are EVERYTHING okay
💫 Bade !!! The bestest
💫 THE EPILOGUE !!!!!!!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

What a beautiful story! I was really excited to read this book, after the amazing time I had reading Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, and it didn't disappoint. In my opinion, Rebecca Ross never disappoints.

Her writing is whimsical, lyrical and beautiful. You feel transported into this poetic and magical world, full of betrayals and love.

The world building was phenomenal. I really enjoyed the world in the Letters of Enchantment duology, but within this book we got to read more about the lives, desires and motives of the gods and goddesses. I loved Bade with all my heart.

Matilda and Vincent were amazing; I loved seeing their growth and strength as the story progressed.

I was really emotional while reading this book and the final chapters didn't help. I was in tears for most of the ending and the way this book connects with the Letters of Enchantment duology was perfect.

I love this book and I am very grateful to have read it early. Also, this book may be one of my top reads of 2025.

Favorite Quotes:

“I do not know when this happened, when the current rose and when I let it take me, willingly, but there came a moment when I looked at you and could not breathe. There was a moment when I watched you depart, and I wanted to fall to my knees.”

“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.”

“I could not hold her any more than I could the wind, but I love her for it .”

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

If you had told me that Rebecca Ross would write another book that would make me just as in love with her world-building as the Divine Rivals series had... well, I would've believed you pretty easily because she is just that talented... but I wouldn't never understood how anything could ever be that amazing again and yet, here she has done it.

I am obsessed. This book was amazing. I love the way she has woven in the backstory of the Divine Rivals series into this entirely different story. It was breathtakingly beautiful and I am already aching to read more of Ross' work and analyze every little detail of this masterpiece. Her writing is much like Enva's music in its addictively beautiful nature.

The characters were so interesting. Both of our main characters are very complex and well developed but at their core they both want the same thing: a normal life. Only, they were built for so much more. It's beautiful to watch them grow and change and also to see how some things will always stay the same. I felt swept up into this world and honestly, I didn't want to ever leave it. However, it was ended really well and felt complete and satisfying.

I cannot recommend this read enough and I will definitely be ordering a copy for my shelf!

I squealed when i got this book. It absolutely blew me away. When I tell you SOBBED, I mean full on ugly cry. So many emotions.

I was so excited to read this after loving Divine Rivals. While this felt somewhat similar, the story was very different from that duology. Becca's writing is still as beautiful as ever, and I really enjoyed being back in this world. I loved the story & romance, but didn't quite connect to it as much as Divine Rivals. I think this was still a great story to the world she's created, and I think a lot of people will love this one!

This was absolutely stunning. I adored Divine Rivals, so my expectations for this book were pretty high, and honestly, I think this still surpassed them! Rebecca Ross' writing is so lyrical and atmospheric, and the story itself was beautiful as well. The beginning felt a bit slow, but I still thoroughly enjoyed getting the background story on many of the gods and goddesses. I adored Matilda as the main character; she was strong but still soft, which is something I think we don't see as often in current fantasy-romance books, so I really enjoyed it! The romance between Matilda and Vincent was very well done as well; their relationship was beautiful, heartbreaking, and bittersweet. The side characters were all very interesting as well, and I especially liked Bade. I would absolutely love a book about Bade and Adria in the future! Overall, I would completely recommend this book and I can't wait to read whatever Rebecca Ross writes next!

Just as a forewarning, I jumped into this without reading Rebecca Ross's other books in this world.

This book was a masterpiece. I couldn't put it down and found my thoughts constantly returning to the story and it's characters throughout the day.

Matilda is everything I love in a FMC. She's bold, courageous, and confident in who she is. She also shows compassion and understanding that notably many other characters wouldn't. This is spoken of as a failing many times but I see it as one of her strengths. It takes true courage to show empathy for your enemies. I mean the scene with the child towards the end? Come on, how many of us would have actually made that selfless choice?

Vincent is a wonderful character on his own, as well. I loved how he showed so much emotional insight and understanding. He's in some ways the opposite of the typical MMC that we see, and I think that made him a stronger and more enjoyable character. The way he shows his love, both inwardly and outwardly, for Matilda and Nate was so heartwarming and wholesome.

Characters aside, the world building and lore of this universe was phenomenal. It's been a long time since I've read such a unique take on magic and Gods. This story and setting truly astounded me. I'm sad to see it's a standalone, but I'm happy to jump into Divine Rivals next when I can buy it.