Divine Rivals: A Novel by Rebecca Ross
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Web ID: 15419847Unexpectedly Captivating: A Journey of Growth and
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross was a pleasant surprise. At first, I found myself struggling through the early chapters, unsure of where the story was going or if I would connect with the characters. But as I pushed further in, Iris' journey really began to draw me in. Her growth throughout the book was so engaging, and the slow burn of her relationship with Ronan was both tender and intense. It’s one of those books where, once you're hooked, it's hard to stop reading. The ending, however, caught me off guard. The pacing picked up so quickly that I was left almost breathless, wanting more. It felt like a whirlwind, and now I'm itching to dive into the next book to see how everything unfolds. I’m excited for where the story is heading and can’t wait to see how Iris and Ronan’s story evolves
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A stunning duet!
4.5⭐️ A stunning duet, a story which could only be told by Rebecca Ross, with magic emanating from the pages. I couldn't help but adore Iris and Roman with their cheeky personalities and witty banter. The progression of their relationship from workplace rivals, to friends, to something more was well paced alongside the underlying story of the gods war. Theirs is a slow, simmering romance, one that made my heart ache with each moment of yearning. Oath, their home, is reminiscent of cities we may know in real life. It gives the story setting a sense of familiarity, albeit with magical influence and its own unique history. We traverse the land to outer cities and to the warfront, too, experiencing the harshness of war as well as the tenderness of home, friendship, hope, and love. The element of magical letters was the spark that drew me to this story and I'm so glad it did. Iris and Roman's letters they wrote, the family they chose, the vows they made, and the lives changed, will be moments I revisit when the world needs a little more magic.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
uniquely charming
How sweet, wonderful and uniquely charming this story is! I was entranced from chapter one to the very end, and will start book 2 ASAP! Wonderful academic rivals to lovers! Their love is just to unique, magical and utterly heartwarming in a time of peril!!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
My heart is with Iris
Am I getting to finally write this review very late? Like nearly a year and a half late? Yes. Did this book reach it’s grubby little paws into my chest and take over my heart? Yes. So here is a vastly under-needed book review for a story that went viral, but one that I still think is worth sharing. Rebecca Ross has been an auto-buy author for me since I fell in love with her Queen’s Rising series. Which while the series came out in 2018, I didn’t find it until 2021 when I was starting to dive into audiobooks deeply–and when I started falling very behind on blogging. I loved the premise behind it but I loved her writing even more. Fast forward to when a friend was able to read Divine Rivals early, wasn’t legally allowed to tell us about it, but all she said was that it was one of the best stories she’s read… I was on tenterhooks waiting for it to be released. And then… I got approved for the ARC, right before I moved, right before I got my new job. I started reading, got about 80 pages in, and knew it was going to emotionally devastate me. I didn’t have time on that trip to read the rest of the book at once, so I set it down. And after my life finally got settled again I was so intimidated by it, by the beautiful editions that arrived, I told myself to wait for the perfect moment. Friends I don’t know who else does this, but while I fully believe that the story will come to you at the right time, waiting for the perfect moment for anything is just depriving yourself. So after a friend came over and I sent her home with one of my copies. I finally just pulled it down and read it. All in one sitting. I think I read it in less than three hours? Or maybe just over. However, I was obsessed. While I knew it was going to be vaguely magical realism, I didn’t realize quite how full of magic this story would be, how the world is full of magic, how the gods interacting with the war is much more real than I’d expected. Additionally for a war book… I don’t know what I was expecting, but the grittiness that this has was not it. Even though I’ve read books where she’s written battle scenes, this had a much different feel. Overall while I’d say the setting is dark, it’s not desolate. But the grittiness, the striving, the struggle of the characters bleeds through. While the setting is such a huge part of the story, at it’s core this is a love story and that gives the tale more whimsy, more hope, and I ate it up like it was a pan of brownies. I loved the determination to prove themselves that both Roman and Iris have. I loved getting to see from both of their eyes and follow their relationship from rivals to lovers. The letters. TEAM THE LETTERS. They were everything. I am a sucker for an epistolary, for any kind of ephemera. So to have it within the text to be formatted so beautifully that you feel like you are reading over the character’s shoulders? Amazing. Fair warning. It ends on a cliff hanger, and I was not ready. My heart was not ready for being crumpled up and then stretched out again. I immediately called my friend to freak out to her. I then went back and wrote down three pages of quotes that just hit my heart. I was already going to be a goner for this story but, not am I uniquely able to cosplay Iris as her features nearly match mine, but we find out in the story that her two favorite flowers are Lilacs and Irises… which are my favorite flowers and always have been. So this review of sheer gushing is probably a bit biased, but really when a book touches you this deeply, you need to share it with everyone else.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Breathtaking!!
Breathtakingly beautiful, emotional, magical, and captivating! This book has absolutely lived up to the hype and my high expectations for it! I truly loved every single page, even though the ending broke my heart. From page one I was absolutely hooked! The writing is beautiful and poetic. The story is very unique and I loved how vividly Rebecca Ross describes things. The pacing of the story was absolutely perfect, not too fast and not too slow. The characters are complex, relatable, and incredibly well written. I was invested in Iris’s search for her brother, Forest. I loved the banter between Iris and Roman and how their relationship evolves during the course of the story. The letters between them were so cute and made my heart melt. They had me smiling through most of the book. Enemies to lovers might very well be one of my new favorite tropes thanks to this book! Truly a beautiful romance. This book has my whole heart and I recommend that everyone reads it! I honestly think this is one of my favorite books of all time and I am excited to read the next one!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing read. Good cliffhanger.
I love the book, I wanted to read it in one sitting but I was busy but once I did I couldn't stop and the ending is such a good cliffhanger to start the second book but it is pretty sad, otherwise it was an amazing read. Loved it!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gorgeous writing
Such a lovely story, the writing is beautiful. The magic, the love story, just gorgeous. Couldn’t put it down!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
uniquely charming!
How sweet, wonderful and uniquely charming this story is! I was entranced from chapter one to the very end, and will start book 2 ASAP! Wonderful academic rivals to lovers! Their love is just to unique, magical and utterly heartwarming in a time of peril!!
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com