Divine Rivals – Rebecca Ross

This is the third book this month I’ve read that’s been written by someone named Rebecca. That’s not bad, just a little weird, I think.

Divine Rivals is an enemies to lovers romantic fantasy that has a bit of a historical fiction spin. Iris Winnow couldn’t care less about the gods that have started warring again. She’s more concerned about her brother, who has gone missing from the front lines, her mom, who is struggling with addiction, and Roman Kitt, the man after the promotion she deserves. The letters she writes and slips under her wardrobe magically end up in Roman’s hands, heart wrenching letters full of grief and sadness, and he writes her back, opening up bit by bit, even though she has no idea it’s him.

I have to be transparent.

This is a beautiful story about war, what it means to be terrified on the front lines, to find love in dangerous times, and the hope we hold onto in dark times. I read this book in a day and a half. I read the last two-hundred and fifty pages in one sitting. I was clutching my kindle to my chest, giggling, hiding my face.

And yet…

I’m only giving it three stars.

Let’s get into it.

I was promised enemies to lovers. And while I don’t read a lot of romance, I was a little disappointed when the enemy part of it fizzled out so quickly. Once they stopped actively hating each other and the competition died, I lost a little interest. Then, the relationship accelerated immensely.

After Iris discovered it was Kitt writing the letters, they moved so fast. It went from “Oh, maybe I have a crush” to “I will die if he isn’t by my side” in about twenty pages and it was incredibly jarring. I was not physically, mentally, spiritually, physiologically, or psychologically prepared for what happened.

And I’m not talking about the ending, although I will get there.

I’m talking about… Well. It is the military, and I know that those things can move fairly quickly in the military, but I was not a fan. Not at all. Call me a scrooge, a cynic, or any of those negative terms. You’re probably right, but I didn’t care for how that part of their relationship progressed. It was too rushed. The tension would have been much better if some things had been saved for the sequel. I’m being vague to avoid spoiling the book, but you can probably put two and two together.

Side note: this is marketed as a young adult novel but there are sexual themes in it. I disagree with having open door romance in books marketed for twelve to eighteen year olds. It feels grimy.

The side characters were flat. I can’t remember their names. They were unremarkable. I wanted to love them. I tried really hard to care about them, but I just didn’t. They lacked depth.

I had no urge to care about the gods at war. In fact, since I’m writing this review about a week and a half after I finished the book, I cannot remember their names. I have some vague inkling of their lore, but the worldbuilding in this book was lackluster. I was so curious about the towns, their customs, and what the different sides had to say about these gods, but I learned so little. It was frustrating and unsatisfying.

The fantasy is just a backdrop for the romance. The plot of the war and these gods are all just a vehicle for Roman and Iris to be together.

That’s not a terrible thing. It’s just not my cup of tea. (And I drink a lot of tea.)

The best part of this book is the writing.

The writing is poetic and beautiful. Instead of telling you about it, which does neither of us any good, I’ll show you a couple of my favorite quotes.

“It was that ache again. The one that tasted like salt and smoke. A longing he feared would only grow stronger with each passing year. A regret in the making.”

Divine Rivals, pg. 172

“Sometimes it’s found in quiet, gentle places. The way you hold someone’s hand as they grieve. The way you listen to others. The way you show up, day after day, even when you are weary or afraid or simply uncertain.”

Divine Rivals, pg. 178

“But I realize that people are just people, and they carry their own set of fears, dreams, desires, pains, and mistakes. I can’t expect someone else to make me feel complete; I must find it on my own.”

Divine Rivals, pg. 88

“If only she could bottle this moment. If only she could drink from it in the days to come, to remember this feeling of warmth and wholeness and joy. As if all of her pieces had come back together, far stronger than they had been before she had broken.”

Divine Rivals, pg. 310

I’ll stop now. But I could keep going. For hundreds, maybe even thousands, of words. I have a fair amount of highlights in this book. A lot of these lines spoke to me. My one regret is that I didn’t highlight more of the sweet moments in the letters shared between Roman and Iris, but that’s okay.

The idea of letters magically finding the other person despite the distance, kind of like a text but make it sweeter and better written, is adorable. Iris and Roman have a way with words that makes each sentence striking. If someone wrote me a letter like they wrote each other, I’d probably marry them.

Romance was rushed. Worldbuilding was flat. The writing is poetic and beautiful. The sequel comes out on December 26th, and I will be reading it. I probably won’t get to it right when it comes out, but I will get to it eventually.

Oh!

And the ending.

Four meters.

End my life, Rebecca Ross.

3/5.

“I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it is that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are.” 

Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals