As someone who hasn't read the other books in this universe, I went in completely blind. It's hard to rate a book based on the first section of a book, but the world-building was wonderful to set the scene for so many gods and magic. I was roped in immediately and can’t wait to finish the book. The narrators were great as well.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this teaser ALC… I’m anxious for the full audiobook now!
Good thing I only have to wait until tomorrow!

Such a beautiful story so far, the narrators are perfect!

I physically could not put this book down. This was my entire 3-day Labor Day weekend. Utterly consumed.

It’s been a while since I’ve read the Divine Rivals books, and now I’m tempted to re-read them, to remember more about how they tie together.

I was very intimidated by the lists of characters at the beginning of the book- I thought it would be overwhelming to remember everyone and their roles and all the things. Yes, I did refer back to it many times, but no the story was not too difficult to follow along with.

I would absolutely recommend this big book. (And I’m not even a huge fan of the recent trend of writing stories all about different gods. But this one?! Incredible!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for giving me the chance to read this amazing ARC!

So far this book is so good. It explains all of the lore that the original duology left out of explanation about the goods. I can’t wait to read the rest. I’m so excited to finished the rest.

“I drew a sharp breath and felt a tear in my chest. It hurt to desire two things at once. To want to be in two different places.”

Wild Reverence was beautiful! Incredible atmospheric and lyrical prose as always from Ms. Rebecca Ross. Sometimes the images she conjures up literally take my breath away.

I loved this story and how well we got to know our main character Matilda. Sometimes parts of the story can feel somewhat slow but I found I didn’t mind because I was so immersed in the world and the characters. And learning so much more about the mythology and gods of this world was so satisfying.

While this book is set in the same world as the ‘Letters of Enchantment’ duology, the writing reminded me more of her ‘Elements of Cadence’ duology which I absolutely loved because those are two of my favorite books of all time. Highly recommend, even if you weren’t completely sold on Divine Rivals!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced digital copy for my honest opinion and review!

After having read - and absolutely adored- Ross’ Divine Rivals duology, I knew I would enjoy this book. However, I was not prepared to become SO ENGROSSED as I truly have with these first 18 chapters. Wow. It’s absolutely the incredible writing and storytelling but it is also the incredible narration with this audiobook! Holy cow. This audiobook is so incredibly well done.

I have loved getting to know Matilda, Vincent, and a HOST of gods and goddesses. The world is so rich and interesting and inviting and addicting. The way Ross writes makes you feel like you’re actively there.

I can’t wait to read the entire book. Thank you Macmillan audio for this incredible preview!

This sneak peek was everything! Hannah van der Westhuysen embodies Matilda. As soon as I heard her first sentence, it is exactly how I hear Matilda in my mind. Perfection. And George Weightman as Vincent was a magnificent choice as well: the yearning. The narrators brought the words to life, I have already preordered the audiobook to listen to the whole book.

I loved this book. Starting this book, I was a little skeptical and hesitant, because it takes place in the same world as Divine Rivals, and DR holds a special place in my heart. It got me back into reading and is still one of my favorite books ever. This definitely surpassed all expectations. It let us see more of the gods: their lives, motivation, longevity.
The way Rebecca Ross weaves words together is pure magic.
Wild Reverence starts off with Matilda's birth. She is forced to grow quickly, as the world of gods is a violent, blood thirsty one: with gods killing others to gain their power.
Deceit and betrayal force Matilda to the Skyward realm, to spend time in her father's court.
Vincent is a mortal who is thrown into a position of power that was never intended nor that he never wanted. Duty bound, he led his people. Vincent did not trust the gods, wanted nothing to do with them.
Vincent and Matilda: childhood friends, fake marriage, to developing true feelings for each other. Letting him see her, becoming vulnerable.
Family drama, politics, trust, dual POV, plot twists, untimely disappearances, unlikely love.
Obligation (vow) or choice (found family).
Foreshadowing- carefully woven in. Almost forgotten, every now and then thinking about it and how it'll tie in.
Wild Reverence is one of my favorite reads of the year. I hope Rebecca Ross weaves more magic and returns to give more insight into this world.

Matilda, a godchild, is growing up with her mother, unaware of her father's identity. The one thing she knows? He is Skyward, and she is growing up down below. Through the goddess of dreams, she meets the mortal, Vincent.

The audio is wonderful, but as this is a sneak peek, it left me wanting more. It was the first quarter of the book, and honestly, that part is the most drawn out of the book.

I very much want to listen to the rest, but I was lucky enough to get the ARC of the full book as well. This section of the book was three stars but the book gets so much better.

Thank you to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

5/5

thank you to netgalley and st. martin’s press for the arc!

this book. THIS BOOK. rebecca’s writing is pure magic, immersive, emotional, and breathtaking. returning to the world of divine rivals felt like coming home, but with new depth and perspective.

we dive deep into the gods, their powers, motivations, and lives and it was fascinating. i especially loved bade’s story; his bond with matilda broke me.

the goddess x mortal trope was EVERYTHING. their first meeting, the backstory, the slow build, it all added so much heart. and don’t get me started on the marriage of convenience moments (my wife 🫠).

vincent’s pov stole the show. the yearning, protectiveness, and his letter had me in tears. the romance was tender, aching, and unforgettable.

the final act left me breathless, anguish, hope, and tears all at once. the way rebecca tied everything back to divine rivals was absolute genius.

this was extraordinary. i’ll never stop loving her words.

WOW I know it was just a sneak peek but I am all in babyyyyy!! Cannot wait to see where this story goes - the writing is gorgeous and the narration is perfectly bringing it to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the preview - will be reading the rest and updating my review then!

This was an awesome sneak preview to the book and the audio. The beginning of the book really captured my attention, pulled me in and made me want to learn more about Matilda. I believe the narrators were well suited to their characters and portrayed them aa such.

I loved this sneak peak of the audio and it got me so excited to keep reading the book. The narrators did a great job and I appreciated that there are different voices for different POVs

I loved this so much i slowed down my speed. Its whimsical, and full of heart and i love the scandal of gods and their scheming.

I am so sad that what I got was the sneak peek audio version and not the entire book because this is a good story . When it ended, I was so upset because I enjoyed it so much and was excited to find out how Maltida’s story will end.

The storyline was goooood, the characters were well written, the plots and narration…beautiful.

Matilda &Vincent. I am so saddened that this audio is only a sneak peak because it was so good! The narrators do a great job and they make the story come to live. I specially loved Matilda’s narration and I can not wait for the full audio to be available.

I didn't realize this was just a sneak peek when i requested it, so i'm disappointed it isn't the full thing, but that's my only disappointment with this work thus far :)

AUDIO - Wow. The audible narrators for this story fits perfectly with the characters. I am so impressed!

Overall - Rebecca Ross has a gift for writing the most descriptive stories, transporting readers so vividly that you can almost touch, feel, and taste every moment. Before diving into Wild Reverence, I re-read the Divine Rivals duology to immerse myself back into that world, and I was pleasantly surprised to see this new story tie into it...mentioning a few of the Gods we already know.

Wild Reverence takes place more than 600 years before Divine Rivals, and I’ll admit it was a bit challenging at first to figure out Matilda’s age and fully grasp the constellation knowledge introduced in the beginning. Around the 40% mark, though, the pieces started to click, and the story really opened up.

I also want to point out that this isn’t a romance-centered fantasy. While there is yearning and genuine romance, it’s not the main focus of the book—and I appreciated that. Ross ties up this prequel beautifully, and her writing pulls me in faster than any other author’s.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even though this was just a sneak peek, it completely drew me in! Rebecca Ross delivers such a unique new story set in the world of the gods first introduced in Divine Rivals, and I can already tell it’s going to be filled with tension, romance, and dark secrets.

The narrators are absolutely fantastic and brought this sample to life, making it impossible not to get swept up in the atmosphere. Even though this only covered the beginning of the plot, I’m already invested and can’t wait to continue the full book on pub day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

This 18 chapter/Part 1 preview into Wild Reference is the perfect sneak peek into Rebecca Ross‘s new adult spinoff of the Divine Rival world. We get the beginning exposition into the gods’ realm, the mortal land, and the budding relationships between Matilda and her godly family and a young mortal boy named Vincent loud reference has Ross‘s signature descriptive and evocative writing gives a deeper and continued expansion into the divine universe that I personally was searching for in ruthless vows. Hannah van der Westhuyse, Matilda’s the narrator encapsulates Matilda‘s maturity (reflective POV writing style) and ethereal presence. Pacing of the story and narrator flows well.
We got a little bit of a glimpse at George Weightmen, the narrator for Vincent and a little bit of his POV but the majority of the first 18 chapters are Matilda‘s point of view.

I really enjoyed the first few chapters and flew through them! I can't wait to receive my copy so that I can finish! Thank you for the opportunity for a sneak peak!