Title: Wild ReverenceAuthor: Rebecca Ross
Pages: 544
Publication Date: Sept. 2, 2025
Publisher: Saturday Books
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.
As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
My name was destined to be blotted out of the divine myths and perhaps even forgotten amongst the poets and the bards as the seasons wheeled onward. Time did not favor such quiet stories. Once, I had feared this until I realized my story was not one to be devoured by strangers. No, this was for him and for me. And if we wanted to tell it, we would in our own way.
This was such a fantastic read, and I loved so much about it that I actually struggled to organize my thoughts for this review. Powerful and moving, heartbreakingly beautiful, Wild Reverence is a haunting and romantic story rich with immersive world-building and compelling characters. There’s something about Rebecca Ross’s writing that just speaks to me, I think, because every book I’ve read by her has been a 5-star read. Wild Reverence is no exception.
Matilda, the sweet and loyal, tormented, bad ass main character has my whole heart. The journey she went on! Both emotionally and physically, Matilda went through it. My heart broke for her so many times, and I was so happy when she found little glimpses of joy in her life, most of which occurs when with the two most important males in her life – Bade and Vincent.
Bade is one of my favorite characters in the book, and I’m so glad we got such a deep look at him. He is a complicated god with many burdens to bear, and the grumpy yet protective dad vibes are strong. His relationship with Matilda is so much more than just the oath he swore to protect her, and I love how Matilda slowly began to see the depth of his and her own feelings.
“If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar. But if you must leave again, then let me follow you, Red.”
Not to be outdone, Vincent, Matilda’s main love interest, is a total dreamboat. I love his brother, too, but Vincent makes me want to swoon. Some of the things he says and writes to Matilda – OH MY WORD!! The relationship between Matilda and Vincent is brilliant. A friendship that began in childhood, their connection runs deep, as do their feelings for each other. Their story has so many tropes that I love- friends-to-lovers, fake marriage, goddess/mortal.
There’s so much I want to say about this story, but I don’t want to give too much away. I will say I loved learning more about the gods and goddesses from Divine Rivals. The author gives life to each of them, showing us what compels each and how their worlds entwine. I also love that we learned the origin of the typewriters used by Iris and Roman. So cool! It’s a brilliant read, rich and layered, and it’s definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a long, long, time.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Saturday Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
To be a lone goddess surrounded by men, devastated from battle, was dangerous. For men are like eithrals; they are drawn to shining, quicksilvered things, keen to tame them.
Her words slowly sank into me, and where once there was gray, cold rain, there was sun and blue sky. And where once there was hardly anything to hold on to, there was now a rope.
I had never desired to be a god, to wield power as one, but in that moment, I longed to halt time. I would have made an interlude for us, a space when the hour lost its bite and the sun stood still. We could simply breathe and let ourselves unravel this knot between us, slowly.
Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults.
She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG.
When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog. Find her on Instagram @beccajross or online at www.rebeccarossauthor.com.
3 thoughts on “Book Review: Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross”