April 's Reviews > Divine Rivals

♾/5 ☆


“you are worthy of love. You are worthy to feel joy right now, even in the darkness. And just in case you’re wondering… I’m not going anywhere, unless you tell me to leave, and even then, we might need to negotiate.”



I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this book. I went into it knowing that it is listed as a YA fantasy but didn't expect to fall in love with it this much! I had seen so many good things about this, but the reviews just don't do it justice. This has become one of my favorite reads for this year!



Divine Rivals is the first book in the Letters of Enchantment duet. This is my first book by Rebecca Ross, and I fell in love with it from the very first word, which surprised me since I usually don't enjoy third person. Her writing is so beautiful and poetic that it just captured me. Though this is a fantasy, there are some missing pieces to the world building, but as I was reading, I completely overlooked it due to the romance that was present. It's a slow burn, work place academic rivals to lovers, where he falls first and harder this always makes me swoon so hard, romantacy that is emotional with angst, tension, grief, death and so much pain that I hadn't been expecting.



Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt are two young rival journalists. They work at the same newspaper the Oath Gazette and find themselves competing for the same columnist position. While the rivalry between them grows, so does a war that is between the two gods, Dacre and Enva. The two find solace within each other through two magical typewrites that are linked through their letters. Iris begins sharing her daily thoughts and her deepest griefs, and he does in return.



"Sometimes I’m afraid to love other people. Everyone I care about eventually leaves me, whether it’s death or war or simply because they don’t want me."

"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."



Iris Winnow is so strong, brave, and just precious and needs to be protected at all costs. I absolutely adore this woman. She's so mature for her young age and has so much to deal with in her everyday struggles, but she doesn't let it affect the way she carries herself and cares for others. I was so happy that she found her own family since all the people she's loved have left her in one way or another.  I just want to wrap my arms around her and give her the biggest hug.



"But just in case you were wondering… I’ll gladly read whatever you write."

“You mentioned the other day that you think I’m only here to ‘outshine’ you. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I broke my engagement, quit my job, and traveled six hundred kilometers into war- torn land to be with you, Iris.”



Roman C. Kitt is grumpy and stubborn in the beginning, but when the layers start to peel back and we are left with the sweetest, kindest, gentleman that I swear you will ever meet. He had me absolutely swooning. His life seems so perfect from the outside, but he has so many struggles that make me love him even more. I won't go into detail as I want you to fall in love with him as I did. He goes through great lengths for Iris to show how much she means to him and cares for her. I mean, he stands outside her door and waits for her to lock it before he leaves. He raises the bar for real men, and I've just added a new book boyfriend to the long list.



"He didn’t want to live in a world without her and her words."

"She couldn’t bear to live in a world without him."

"“I think you and I are simply better together, Kitt,”

"Their names would be entwined—Roman and Iris or Winnow and Kitt because could you truly have one without the other?"



RomanIris are the definition of soulmates. Their chemistry is so palpable from the very beginning, even as they were still rivals. Iris gave Roman the following nicknames Roman Cheeky Kitt. Roman Cantankerous Kitt. Roman Conceited Kitt and I loved them all. They had me giggling and kicking my feet. The way that he would do anything for her and the love he has for her words had me on my knees swooning. Their love for each other was felt through every moment on the pages. And the letters they wrote to each other are everything and so much more! They were making up some of my favorite parts. I need someone to write me love letters NOW!



Side characters
I absolutely adored the love and found family that Marisol, Attie, and Keegan shared with Iris. They are the family that Iris never knew she would need. The way that they became close knit so quickly and will always look out for and do anything for one another is so precious. Now Iris' mother Aster and her brother Forest I'm not sure how I feel about them. They both did things that I couldn't fully agree with. I'm hoping for some redemption from Forest for what he did in the next book.



"It’s odd, how quickly life can change, isn’t it? How one little thing like typing a letter can open a door you never saw. A transcendent connection. A divine threshold."



That cliffhanger has me feeling so much. I was not expecting that ending at all. I will be patiently ummm impatiently waiting for the release of the next book because I have so many questions that I need answers for.



Favorite moments/quotes

"Perhaps it begins with one person. Someone you trust. You remove a piece of armor for them; you let the light stream in, even if it makes you wince. Perhaps that is how you learn to be soft yet strong, even in fear and uncertainty. One person, one piece of steel."

“I don’t want to wake up when I’m seventy- four only to realize I haven’t lived.”

"I don’t think you realize how strong you are, because sometimes strength isn’t swords and steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. 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."

She unfortunately had to sit on Roman Kitt’s lap, nearly all the way to the front lines.
~~Oh, how I would gladly take her place...

“I prefer salty over sweet. I prefer sunsets over sunrises, but only because I love to watch the constellations begin to burn. My favorite season is autumn, because my mum and I both believed that’s the only time when magic can be tasted in the air. I am a devout tea lover and can drink my weight in it.”

“I have the worst sweet tooth imaginable,” Roman began. “I prefer sunrises, but only because I like the possibilities a new dawn brings. My favorite season is spring, because baseball returns. I prefer coffee, although I’ll drink whatever is placed in front of me.”

"It’s not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless. Iris, look at me. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And I intend to see that you have it.”

“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."

“I pray that my days will be long at your side. Let me fill and satisfy every longing in your soul. May your hand be in mine, by sun and by night. Let our breaths twine and our blood become one, until our bones return to dust. Even then, may I find your soul still sworn to mine.”
~~ This right here got me all on my feels because it's the absolute sweetest.


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RomanIris are everything 🥹
rtc when I can form thoughts...


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In my fantasy era. FINALLY starting this to meet Roman and Iris 🩵🤭