A review by annad318
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I knew this book had potential within the first few pages because of its well-written prose. Ross really knows how to paint a picture with words, it feels effortless.

PLOT

• I enjoyed the premise of a young woman with solid aspirations and strong family values who has a competitive but flirty relationship with her cantankerous (lol) co-worker. The setting of a newspaper office (with the backdrop of war) was fresh and fun (IMO, I don't read many office romances). I even liked
  how Iris left her job to be a war correspondent
  , as she demonstrated the ability to adapt and overcome hardship.  

• However, there were other elements to the plot that failed to entertain me, such as the rich guy/poor girl trope. I hate seeing FMCs constantly losing in this way—aka character building through trauma such as
  poverty, alcoholism, and death
  . I will admit that the delivery of her
  mother's death
  was quite powerful and successfully propelled the story forward. Made me think, “Oh, this author does not play around.” 

ROMANCE

• I found that the romantic relationship between Roman and Iris developed rather quickly but still felt organic
  until they married. Yes, Roman joining Iris on the front lines was a bit of a jumpscare, but it was expected. Their marriage, however, was not. I did not find marriage conducive to the plot, going from flirty to “I can't live without you” in a matter of pages. Transitioning from friends/enemies to lovers is an art form, and the shift was too sudden. Roman saving Iris from a literal grenade gave more than that wedding ceremony ever could. After all that grown-up acting on the battlefield, I was suddenly reminded that they are only 18/19 years old (babies!).

ENDING

• Although the ending of this book was not entirely predictable (at least not to me), it fits the genre. It actually reminded me of Fourth Wing, which I thought ended on a fun but unnecessary cliffhanger. I believe Ross could have neatly wrapped this up in one longer novel. I fear the plot will drag on in the next book, with enough twists and turns to satiate us until Iris and Roman’s
  eventual reunion
  , but not much more than that. I find the characters here lack the depth/substance I need to want to read a second book.