Okay so I enjoyed Divine Rivals enough that I wanted to see how the story would end unfortunately this book was so disappointing. The thing I loved most about Divine Rivals was the letters and the romance and we barely get any of that in this book. They barely interact at all. The world building wasn’t great in the first book and in this book it really showed because they’re in a war with Gods but there’s no tension or proper explanation of how this magical element works. Why is this God that everyone is terrified of, so easily defeated by two teenage journalists? Every single obstacle is overcome so easily and conveniently that there is no tension or build up that makes me want to root for them. Even the way Roman gets his memory back is so anticlimactic. Divine Rivals should have been a standalone.

After flying through Divine Rivals I wasted no time in downloading the second book in this duology, Ruthless Vows. In my opinion this isn’t a book you can read as a standalone you really need to have read Divine Rivals and met Iris and Roman to fully enjoy this book.

We pick right back up where the previous book left off. Iris is heartbroken and beside herself not knowing what happened to Roman after the battle. Roman however has been healed by the God Dacre but in doing so all his memories have gone. The book alternates between Roman and Iris’s points of views and this works well as we get to see the anticipation that those who are not following Dacre face and also get to see the plans as they unfold from Romans side.

What both of the books have in common is that they always have something going on and there are no low or slow parts in the book. We never quite know what is going to happen next and this is what kept me hooked as the story progressed.

This book was really enjoyable but didn’t quite have the exciting spark as the first book had. I loved the communication between Iris and Roman through the letters in book one and although the author tried to recreate this in book two it kind of feel short. This book was finished off perfectly and worked really well as a duology.

Divine Rivals was one of my favourite books of 2023 so of course Ruthless Vows became one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2024.

I was so excited when I was approved for the arc and obviously read it immediately, I have to say I liked it but I didn’t love it. Sadly, for me, it lost a little bit of that magic that made book 1 so special. I can’t even put my finger on exactly why I felt that way! It was still the same beautiful writing and the same well loved characters but something was just missing. Maybe if we had more details about the gods or if Iris and Roman spent less time apart.. I don’t know. On a couple of small occasions during reading, it started to feel a little repetitive and bordered on the verge of boring but other than that it was still very well written. As I said, I did like it but I think because I adored Divine Rivals so much, it just had a lot to live up to to compare to that five star masterpiece.

I think I’ll definitely reread the duology again in the future and I’ll be reading everything Rebecca has written previously and goes on to write in the future. She is now an autobuy author for me.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is cute, but not my all-time favourite.
It felt too long, and I believe the overall presentation of the story needed more attention, it fell flat. Especially the part about gods – it was explained more in this book, but I'm still confused about how some things are magical while the world they live in feels like the 1950s. The main characters, in my opinion, made a lot of wrong decisions, and that kind of annoyed me.

They are still super cute together and their love story is very adorable. So if you want a cute love story this is it.

Rebecca Ross wrote the perfect ending to Divine Rivals. Ruthless Vows continues the story between Iris and Roman. There is a sense of innocence and sweet love between Roman and Iris and also a sense that they have been together for years, even though the story takes place over a short period of time. Rebecca Ross does the world building perfectly, with just enough information to get us through the story and sprinkled in the perfect parts. Ruthless Vows has a bittersweet ending, because we as the readers are not ready to say good bye to Iris and Roman.
5 stars 🌟
Thank you NetGalley, Rebecca Ross and Harper Collins for the Advance Reader Copy of this book!

Oh my heart!!

I can't say too much without giving away spoilers for Book 1, but this is a completely worthwhile follow up that deserves all the love and adoration that Book 1 got and then some.

All of your favourite characters are back for this second installment, picking up just a few days after the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers that ended Book 1 and there is just as much action and fast paced high jinks that will pull you in and won't let you go.

It was interesting to see new layers to some of the side characters we met briefly in Book 1, and while you sympathise with some, there are those that are villainous no matter what (in my opinion) I would also say this book cements Iris and Roman as one of my all time favourite relationships I have ever read and they have my heart ❤️❤️

An amazing duology that I can't recommend enough!!

Absolutely fantastic. I loved this book so much ... I love this series so much. Rebecca Ross is a beautiful writer. Sad this duo is over

10/10 one of the best sequels I have ever read. This book had me on my knees screaming and sobbing at every scene that didn't go.... favourably... for iris and roman. I usually am not a huge fan of sequels but I am a huge fan of Rebecca Ross and she is the one and only reason why I even have such high hopes for them.

Ruthless Vows picks up shortly after the dramatic cliffhanger ending of Divine Rivals with Iris back in Oath and Roman entrenched with Dacre's forces
In Divine Rivals, the war and the gods felt slightly more in the background to Iris and Roman, but in Ruthless Vows the focus is more on the gods and the war - it's propaganda and politics- with Roman and Iris trying desperately to salvage their relationship within that framework.
I've said before that Rebecca Ross is great at relationships of all kinds, and this remains true for Ruthless Vows. Although Roman and Iris get little time together, their relationship - the desperation, the longing - is really well crafted. But also, the side characters and their relationships with Roman and Iris, and with each other are all excellent and compelling.
I also liked that, even as the magical war elements become more dangerous, there are still elements of magic being smaller and wonderous.
A really satisfying conclusion to the duology. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Ross writes next

I’m very grateful for NetGalley approving an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited for this book as I thoroughly enjoyed Divine Rivals. I find Rebecca Ross has a unique style of writing, beautiful and poetic prose. This book, like divine rivals, delivered in that sense however I feel it was one of the only good parts of this book. The plot was incredibly underwhelming and rushed which is such a disappointment considering how well everything was set up in the first book. So much anticipation to just fall flat. Unceremonious conclusions for the characters and the story as a whole. I think these books should have been a trilogy because the pacing of this one did not make sense to me.

The book deserves 5 star, however the formatting of the epub was so bad that it made it impossible to read.

(Note to the publisher, this ebook was incredibly hard to read with the same paragraph repeated on every single chapter, at some points I had to find the bits I needed to read in between the corruptions. I’m sure this was to prevent it being pirated, not good for us arc who has to struggle to read there books.) despite my issues it was a beautiful story, beautifully written. I love how magical the world is without making it difficult. Utterly great conclusion to a beautiful story.

I haven’t read a book that has touched my soul, like this one, in a very long time, but then again, Rebecca Ross continues to prove she can do no wrong.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved the next installment in this duology.

I love Iris and Roman, and this was the perfect ending to their story. Much like the first book it was such a cosy read but still had me permanently on the edge of my seat!

I loved the fantasy elements, the letters and all the characters. I really enjoyed that we learnt more about Dacre and Enva and that they had a bigger part in the story.

Overall 5 stars, I really enjoyed this book and I'm a little sad to say goodbye to Iris and Roman.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins and Rebecca Ross for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This duology is utter perfection. It has my entire heart, and I could not have envisioned a better ending for Iris and Roman. This book had me sobbing at a particular chapter, and though this sequel is very much set in a wider world with higher stakes, it still managed to retain some of the qualities that made Divine Rivals SO GOOD. The letters are still there. The connection, the poignancy. All the emotions.

I will never tire of recommending this beautiful duology to readers. Just perfection. Well done, Rebecca Ross!

“𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎? 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜?"
⠀
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 📖
⠀
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
𝘙𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘝𝘰𝘸𝘴 is the compelling finale to the 𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 duology. The story resumes some weeks after journalist Iris returns home, her heart burdened with the scars of war and absence of her love, Roman, who has gone missing behind enemy lines. Stricken with amnesia, Roman finds himself unwittingly writing for the enemy, disconnected from his past and Iris. In a twist of fate, a mysterious letter reaches him, initiating a correspondence that feels eerily familiar and reigniting a bond that transcends memory. Roman and Iris’ journey is a testament to the power of love and resilience amidst the chaos of war, where the pen might just prove mightier than the sword.
⠀
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
I am entirely enamoured with Ross’ writing style that breathes such beautiful life into her characters, making them feel like people I might know in real life. I have been so deeply invested in Roman and Iris and their heartbreaking yet heartwarming journey, akin to ‘The Notebook’ of our generation.
⠀
However, 𝘙𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘝𝘰𝘸𝘴 fell a bit short of my expectations. While Ross’ focus on a love story set against the backdrop of feuding gods was clear from the outset, I anticipated a more dynamic treatment of the wartime setting and deities involved. The narrative, while emotionally rich, seemed to lack the twists and depth that could have elevated the plot. The portrayal of Dacre, our villain of the story, lacked the complexity we might expect from a centuries-old, powerful deity, sometimes coming across more like an angry, white collar manager who just discovered the coffee is all out.
⠀
⚠️ 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 ⚠️
The elements of plot progression we did get, such as Roman’s sneaky manoeuvres and the last minute employment of the “chosen one” trope, felt somewhat rushed and underdeveloped, leaving the conclusion of the war feeling abrupt.
⠀
I believe this duology would have worked so much better as a trilogy. Extending the series could have allowed for a deeper exploration of the characters’ struggles and Dacre’s tyranny, ending the second book when Roman is in the dungeons with the eithrals. A third book could have then better expanded upon Enva’s return, the climax of war, why Iris was chosen to assassinate Dacre, and the resolution of it all.
⠀
Despite these critiques, make no mistake that I have adored this duology. Ross has an incredible talent for invoking such powerful emotions from the reader (and by powerful emotions, I mean making me sob constantly), and Roman and Iris have carved out a permanent place in my heart. This story is undeniably powerful and resonant.

This was so good but I am so sad it is over and we have no more Iris and Roman…

I found this one to be a little slower in the beginning but the ending left me in tears at times. The writing is as beautiful as ever and really cemented the fact I will check out other books by Ross.

Update 31/12/20223

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Official Release Date : December 26th 2023
Buy the book :
Amazon| Bookshop.org (affiliate) | Indigo

3/5 ⭐️

ARC provided by the publisher Harper Collins UK through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruthless Vows is the sequel of the cult favorite 'romantasy' Letters of Enchantment duology, following the Divine Rivals, by Rebecca Ross. This duology has been added to the TBRs of readers for its yearning, pining, and intense romance set in a country split in two as the fight between gods bleed into humanity where everyone is forced to pick sides. The story follows two rivals journalist, Iris and Roman, as they report from the front lines the atrocities they witness and fall in love (I guess).

I'll keep this short and sweet. The story picks up a few weeks after what happened at the end of Divine Rivals with Iris, back in Oath, worrying about Roman's whereabouts and planning her next move. The stakes are higher now because Roman is in deep with the enemy forces, dazed and confused. Rebecca Ross's lyrical prose and vivid descriptions breathes life into the story, which is the reason why this story vibes with so many readers. Roman and Iris became lovers by the end of Divine Rivals, I was curious about what Rebecca Ross will do to spin this tale again. The separation and eventual reunion is satisfying. I liked reading about Roman and Iris' rendezvous, the tension is moderately palpable and they are as lovely as the first book. I had hoped for Rebecca Ross to evolve with their prose work and elevate it in some way that can end this duology with a bang, but unfortunately it is still the same.

The introduction of new characters and the development of new relationships are just mere mentions without any build up whatsoever. All this is given to readers from Iris' perspective because she interacts with so many characters compared to Roman, who have lost his integrity as a main character in this book (in my opinion). The characters are the same they are in the first book and aside from what Rebecca Ross tells us (instead of showing us) of their development, they left a an okay impression for me. Will I remember them? Probably no. One thing I liked about Ruthless Vows is a chapter nearing the ending, where readers are treated to different POVs of characters and what they are doing during the climax of the story. Kudos to Rebecca Ross for including that because it did make me shed a tear or two.

For me, the writing is repetitive. This is a nitpicky but I want to be truthful in this review. The descriptions of hot beverage (tea) to invoke nostalgia and yearning, mainly in Iris' POV, is overused to filth. Once I noticed this pattern I could not stop noticing it. Every single person's hot beverage preference gets their time to shine. Even during tense moments there is always a way to use hot beverage to propel the plot forward. As a person that was once indifferent about the debate between tea and coffee, this book made me a major tea (with milk and honey) hater.

There are no major improvements that I notice because my reading experience is overall the same as when I read Divine Rivals. The ending is quite simple and safe, in my opinion, because I can see plenty of ways to spin this ending and what happened is likely the safest choice. Iris and Roman's characterization didn't develop much because they were so ready for the war to be over and be mundane, which really bleeds through from start to end. Though I praise Iris for doing all the grunt work to move the plot forward as she is willing to get dirty, but the way it is written is (again) safe at best. The fantasy element is not used to its full potential, the lore of about gods and their involvement could've been much more epic but that's probably just me craving for more fantasy instead of 'romance'. This story is nice and entertaining. A good filler book if you just want to read some fantasy romance. Not groundbreaking good but still fun.

**** Had a little issue with the file and with the holidays I couldn't read this as soon as I wanted, but still thank you very much for the arc!! ****

I loved book 1, and I love that book 2 and end of the duology just as much. I'm extremely attached to Iris and Roman (but also all other side characters) and it was hard to leave then. It was to a point I was veeery much hoping it'd end on a cliffhanger with a "haha actually there's a book 3 coming!" because I really didn't want the story to end.

There's a lot of challenges in this book, a lot about the war. Some moments were pretty hard to read, especially towards the end. But I loved the story, the way it unfolded : it wasn't that easy, there were issues and problems, risky moments, things that didn't worked out, and death. But it overall unfolded as I wanted so it was great.

I've smiled, I've laughed, I've cried with this duology - I recommand it very highly!!

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross is the thrilling conclusion to the story that so many readers fell in love with in Divine Rivals and it picks up right where the dramatic cliff hanger that ended that book left off. The love story between Iris and Roman is just as beautiful as ever and the reader cannot help but fall in love with these characters all over again. The stakes are higher than ever before in this Divine war between rival gods Dacre and Enva and with Roman missing behind enemy lines with no memories of who he is while Iris desperately searches for any news of his fate the reader is immediately drawn into the story. Dacre has plans to use Roman as a propaganda mouthpiece and when the first of his articles appears Iris comes up with a dangerous but cunning plan to re open the lines of communication . While Roman has no idea who the the mysterious person sending him magical letters is, he soon starts to crave the comfort her missives offer and before long the two are conspiring to thwart Dacre's evil plans.
This is a darker book than Divine Rivals but that just means the moments of hope and beauty shine through all the brighter. There are moments of great sadness and loss , so reader be prepared but know that overall this is a story filled with hope.
I read and reiewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher,all opinions are my own.